Tattoon Ranma
by Hung Nguyen
Summary: [Rated for V & L] Ranma decides that girls are nothing but trouble and tries to get away from his fiancee problems in Nerima. However, one last fiancee comes onto the scene... and she's definitely different!
1. Chapter 1: Another One of Genma's Deals

Disclaimer: Tattoon Master and Ranma 1/2 belong to their respective creators and this all just for fun.

Note: Now this is probably one of the most offbeat stories I could come up with. I _REALLY_ liked Tattoon Master and saw so many similarities with Oh My Goddess, Sailor Moon and of course, Ranma 1/2, so I figured... why not? I was disappointed to learn that there were only two episodes available and hope that AD Video comes up with more. As for the main character acting totally OOC, well just read on! This story takes place somewhere after the anime episode of the Dragon's Whisker.

: Thoughts  
#( )#: Panda signs

**Chapter One **

**Another One of Genma's Deals. **

One year after Ranma's birth, somewhere in the mountainous regions of Tibet...

"Here is the worm who dared to try to steal the sacred scrolls." The head of the guards said as he unceremoniously shoved Genma Saotome's back, causing the idiot of a martial artist to fall to his knees. Beside him was another of the guards, who was cradling a small bundle in his arms.

Inside his tent, Shiror, the High Priest of the Tattoon Tribe, glared down at the wretch who had taken advantage of their hospitality and attempted to make off with his peoples' treasures. Shiror was in his early forties and was the father of two girls. He had long, red hair that had a few streaks of gray. His build was a bit on the lean side, but his mind was sharp as a tack and his powers made him very formidable. His youngest child Balla, (or Nima as she was called by her mother), was about Ranma's age, while his eldest daughter was two years older.

A week ago, Genma Saotome and his infant son had come straggling into their hidden valley, begging for food and shelter. The dishonest martial artist had already sold out his son and stolen him back a few times already. Normally, outsiders were not welcomed, but when they saw the baby on his back, they had taken pity and decided that it wouldn't hurt to give them some food and provisions. However, no sooner had the father regained his strength then his greed and thieving ways came to the fore. After seeing the amazing powers of the Tattoon Tribe, he began to snoop around their village, eventually breaking into their archives in search of the secrets to their abilities. He would have made a clean getaway if Ranma hadn't awoken and started crying.

That was all it took for the sentries to descend upon the thief and pounded him into submission. Genma was considered an exceptional martial artist at the time, but even he was no match for the elemental mystics and warriors of the Tattoon. Now Genma's fate and that of his baby boy rested in the hands of the leader of the Tattoon Tribe and he didn't appear to be in a forgiving mood.

"We took you in, nursed you and your son back from starvation, and this is how you repay us?" Already, the mystic symbol on his forehead appeared and glowed as the leader of the tribe fought to rein in his anger. "Give me one good reason why I should spare your miserable life."

Genma was in no condition to fight after being subjected to the elemental attacks of the guards, not to mention the intense beating he received afterwards. So he did the only thing he could do... the Crouch of the White Tiger.

Balla's father became disgusted as he watched the idiot grovel at his feet. He then made the symbol on his right hand appear and formed an energy blade to lop off the thief's head. He then looked over to the guards and his gaze fixated on the baby.

"Please don't kill me! I'm sorry! I'll give you anything you want! All that I have!"

_Hmmm... anything I want, eh? That child of his does have great potential... He looks to be about Balla's age._

Balla's father then came to a decision and made the blade disappear. "Perhaps.... we can arrange something..."

Sixteen years later...

Ranma Saotome of the School of the Anything Goes Martial Arts sighed as he saw doom approaching. And began running. Now with most people, approaching doom would be a one-time thing, but for the pigtailed martial artist, this was a daily occurrence. As he ran from the mob, he growled as he heard various voices calling from behind him, mostly female.

"_RANMA NO BAKA!_ Come back here and eat the lunch I made for you!"

"Airen! Come each too, too delicious ramen!"

"Ranma honey! I made this okonomiyaki specially for you!"

"Ranma darling! Let us elope together!"

Ranma began to feel his anger boil at Akane, Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? It was bad enough he was engaged to three girls against his will, all because of his stupid old man. Genma had engaged him to one of the Tendo daughters before he was born, and it was just his rotten luck that he ended up being saddled with an uncute tomboy who couldn't cook if her life depended on it. And he was pretty sure that his life would end if he were to eat Akane's toxic cooking.

The panda man was also responsible for his engagement to Ukyo Kuonji after promising him to her in exchange for her family's yattai as a dowry. Genma took the yattai and Ranma, but left Ukyo behind. And if he hadn't taken Ranma to that stupid training ground in China, then Jusenkyo would have never happened and Ranma wouldn't have ever met the Amazons and gotten involved with Shampoo.

With three girls constantly fighting over him and Ranma always in the middle, the last thing he needed was for Kuno's psycho sister to take a shine to him. Unfortunately, she had formed an obsession with him and made life even less tolerable. Ranma had to look out for poisons, magic Amazon herbs, Akane's cooking and mallet, and whatever new fiancee that would pop up due to Genma's selling him out for food. Now that by itself, would be enough to drive anyone to madness, but it didn't stop there. Due to his curse and the fact that he had these girls fighting over him, other problems had cropped up. Case in point, the other people who were pursuing him.

"_RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!_"

"_HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY SHAMPOO!_"

"_RELEASE MY PIGTAILED GODDESS AND AKANE TENDO, FOUL SORCERER!_"

Ranma's battle aura began to flare as the chase continued and the mob showed no signs of letting up. His emotions began to shift from depression, to tired, to resigned, to upset, to angry, and finally, he just decided to _HELL_ with it all. Akane was always hitting him whenever something goes wrong, even when it wasn't his fault. She never believed in him and he would always get pounded whenever he refused to eat her cooking or when one of his other suitors got close. She always blamed him for everything and would tell him to go off and die! Her sister Nabiki, would take advantage of their relationship and his curse to make money on him. Ukyo, his best friend from childhood was constantly reminding him of their engagement and was overly possessive. Shampoo was no better and treated him like a prize to be won: always deceiving him with false cures for his curse and drugging him with whatever magical potions and such. She had gotten her great-grandmother into the act as well. Kodachi... brrrr, he didn't even want to recall all the times she fed him paralysis potions, sleeping drugs and whatnot in her maniacal obsession over him. With Ryoga, Kuno, and Mouse also after him, there just seemed to be no end in sight. His problems with girls were the cause of all this and if this is what it's like, then he was going to have no more part of it.

"_THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT! GIRLS ARE NOTHING BUT TROUBLE! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF ALL OF YOU GIRLS FIGHTING OVER ME AND YOU GUYS GOING AFTER ME BECAUSE OF IT! AS OF NOW, ALL ENGAGEMENTS ARE OFF!_"

Ranma's aura suddenly flared like a supernova, causing the group to stop dead in their tracks. Ranma continued to build up his anger, and then glared at the three rivals at the front of the group.

He then began addressing the girls in a voice that they barely recognized as his. "I'm _SICK OF YOU..._" He pointed a finger at Ukyo. "_AND YOU!_" He then gestured to Shampoo. "_AND YOU!_" Kodachi flinched at the finger. "_AND MOST OF ALL, YOU!!!_" He glared at Akane as his anger hit the breaking point. He then turned to the boys.

"_I NEVER ASKED TO BE ENGAGED TO ANYBODY AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T STEAL ANYBODY FROM ANYONE! IF YOU GUYS WANT THAT UNCUTE TOMBOY, THAT CRAZY AMAZON OR THE OTHER GIRLS, THEN YOU... CAN... HAVE THEM!_"

This caused the girls to gasp in shock, as they had never seen Ranma act this way.

"Ranchan, you don't mean that!" "Airen!"

"Ranma, darling!"

"_RANMA NO BAKA!_"

The boys saw this as an opportunity to attack.

"Ranma! How dare you insult Akane!"

"Prepare to face my blade, for your foul words against the beauteous Akane!"

"I won't have you say bad things about my Shampoo!"

Ranma couldn't believe it. Even after telling them that he had given up all claims, they were _**STILL**_ after his blood. As he dodged the chains, bokken, umbrellas and bandannas, Ranma's battle aura began to grow even more intense. The pressure began to build and build, and finally... Ranma could stand no more. His ridiculously high limits for tolerance had finally been exceeded.

"_LEAVE... ME... ALONE!_"

Nerima then suddenly shook with a huge explosion as a blast of pure, anger-driven ki suddenly flared and reduced a square block into a smoldering crater.

Some time later, at the Tendo dojo...

"_HOW DARE YOU BREAK YOUR ENGAGEMENT WITH AKANE!_" Soun said as he went into his Demon Head. However, Ranma was unaffected this time as his red battle aura began to flare again.

Nabiki and Kasumi looked on with interest and bits of uneasiness as Ranma faced up to her father's dreaded attack with absolutely no fear whatsoever. Akane was in her room and refused to see that baka.

In the past, Ranma always cringed at the sight of Soun's Demon Head, but not this time. In fact, Ranma seemed to be showing nothing but disdain as he growled at the Tendo patriarch.

"I don't see why I can't break off the engagement. Akane does it all the time."

"_FOOLISH BOY!_" Genma said as he rushed up to support his friend. "_IT IS A MATTER OF HONOR THAT..._"

_**WHAM!**_

Nabiki and Kasumi were shocked as Ranma backhanded his father out the patio door and into the koi pond. Genma came up in his panda form with a look of utter disbelief. He was very surprised at the force in which his son had displayed. He had swatted him like an annoying gnat as he continued to glare at Soun's monstrous appearance.

"I repeat," Ranma growled as his red aura intensified, causing Soun's Demon Head to shrink. "I ain't nobody's fiancee. In fact, I'm giving up girls all together as they aren't nothin' but trouble!" His expression softened a bit as he looked at Kasumi. "Though there are some exceptions."

Soun took this sudden change as a sign to salvage the Tendo-Saotome pledge. "Does that mean that you want Kasumi..."

"_NO! I SAID I'M GIVING UP THIS WHOLE THING COMPLETELY! AS OF NOW... I QUIT! DO YOU HEAR? I QUIT!_"

Without another word, Ranma then stomped up to the guestroom and slammed the door behind him. The Tendos and Genma were in a state of shock for a few minutes, then Soun started toward the stairs. He then felt a paw on his shoulder and looked over to see Genma holding up a sign.

#(Let him be for now, Tendo. Give him some time to cool off. I'm sure that he'll come around in a bit. After all, where he can he go?) #

Up in the Tendo's guest room...

Ranma however, was not going to get over it. Not this time. He didn't know where he got the power to level a city block, but at the moment, he didn't care. After a year and a half of non-stop insanity, the pigtailed martial artist had finally come to the conclusion that his life in Nerima was just not worth it. It wasn't ever going to change, no matter how much he tried to make things better. It was a losing battle and even Ranma had a limit to how much he could tolerate. And he knew just who to blame for all the misery he had endured. His father... and girls!

It was his father who had engaged him to an uncute, violent tomboy without ever asking him! It was Genma's fault that he took Ukyo's yattai in exchange for engaging his son to her! It was Genma's fault by dragging Ranma to China where they got mixed up with those crazy Amazons! Furthermore, because those girls had other suitors chasing after them, Ranma felt as if he had a sign on him that said, 'Hey! Your girl wants me! Kill me and you get the girl!'

And then there were the girls themselves that gave him grief! Shampoo and her potions and that old ghoul! Ukyo and her over-possessiveness! Kodachi and her poisons! Akane and her damned temper, mallet, horrible cooking and always jumping to conclusions!

Enough was too much! If this is what it meant to be Ranma Saotome, then forget it! With this last thought, Genma's only son went to the closet and pulled out his backpack.

Later, at dinner time...

"I'm worried." Kasumi said as she sat down to eat with the others. "Ranma didn't come down for dinner."

"So what?" Akane snorted as she ate. "It's not like that I want that baka down here. Let him go without dinner. We'd all be better off if he'd just leave."

Soun turned to Genma, who was wolfing down his share and Ranma's like a vacuum cleaner. "I am getting concerned Genma. Do you think Ranma really meant what he said, about the engagement?"

Genma waved it off. "Oh don't worry about it Tendo. That boy of mine won't ever go back on his honor. You'll see. Things will be back to normal and all of this will blow over by tomorrow."

"Speaking of things blowing over," Nabiki said. "What exactly happened this afternoon? The news said that some kind of bomb went off near the shopping district and a whole square block was leveled!"

Akane became silent at this as she recalled that incident. Ranma had let off some kind of blast that took out Kuno, Ryoga and Mousse and sent them to the hospital. Ukyo, Shampoo, Kodachi and herself had taken cover and escaped with only minor scratches. Akane had no idea that Ranma was capable of such a feat.

Soun then made up his mind and addressed to his youngest daughter. "Akane, don't you think that it's time you made up with your fiancee and admit your true feelings to him?"

This got Akane raged as she recalled his harsh words to her before the blast. "_I TOLD YOU! HE'S NOT MY FIANCE AND I COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT HIM!_"

Soun then turned to Kasumi and started weeping, "Wah! Kasumi, she yelled at me!"

Akane winced as she went stomping up to Ranma's room. "Oh, all right! I'll go talk to that insensitive jerk!"

When she knocked on the door and shouted for Ranma, there was no answer. She became angrier by the moment as she knocked on the door again and called for him. There was still no reply. Finally, she decided to just barge in and flung open the door.

"_RANMA..._"

The sight that greeted her made her stop in her tracks. The closet door was open and Ranma's backpack was missing. The window to the guestroom was open and on the windowsill was a piece of paper with two words written in large kanji.

_I QUIT! _

A few months later, in Hiroshima...

Ranma was feeling good about himself as he entered the apartment that he had just leased. He was confident that none of the Nerima Wrecking Crew would ever find him. He thought back to the time he left the Tendos and Genma for good.

Flashback...

As Akane and her family were eating dinner, Ranma quietly crept into Nabiki's room and began rifling through her private files. Contrary to popular belief, Ranma was not quite the naive, easily manipulated and dumb jock that the middle Tendo daughter had pegged him for. He knew that if he were to leave right at this moment, the others would surely hunt him down. That was the reason why he was in Nabiki's room and scanning though the listings of certain people.

Ranma had decided that the best way to throw everyone off his trail was to totally remake himself. However, since he had no prior experience in creating a new identity, it made sense that Nabiki would have the resources to achieve such a goal. Ranma then smiled as he came across certain names and places and committed the information to memory. He then carefully pocketed the files, a large number of photo negatives, and a few computer disks into his pack, then crept out of the room via the window. Being with Genma had taught him one useful skill, the art of thievery.

End of flashback...

Ranma then went to the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. He smiled at the effort he had put into making his new identity and though it had cost him everything he had, it was worth it. After stealing the files, Ranma then contacted the Furinken Computer Club...

Flashback, late one night, a few days after Ranma had deserted the Tendos...

"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, we're not just talking about a change of name here. We're talking a whole new life and... if you do this, then you'll never be able to go back."

Takuya Shibana looked up from his seat at the high school's computer room. Beside him, Ranma nodded.

"I'm sure. And remember, you do owe me for saving you and your friends from those bullies last month."

"I'll say! If it weren't for you, we'd all be in traction right now." Ranma then reached into his pack and pulled out a couple of computer disks and a folder. "Here."

"What are these?"

"All the blackmail information Nabiki has on you and the rest of the Computer Club. I made certain that these were the only hard copies in her house. And the disks have all her computer security codes."

Takuya smiled as he got Ranma's meaning. His fingers began to dance on his keyboard as he logged onto the Internet. Inserting a disk into his drive, he began hacking his way through the modem to Nabiki's PC. When he obtained the files which concerned him and the rest of the techno-nerds, he made a grand gesture with his right index finger and gleefully pressed the key marked 'delete.' In an instant all the data was wiped out. He then took out a disk from his desk and showed it to Ranma.

"A little something I whipped up for just such an occasion. My own, specially-made computer virus that I call the Cyber-Snake!"

"Cyber-Snake?"

"Yep! I thought that the best revenge against a snake like Nabiki is to use a snake! Until now, I wasn't able to get this into her computer's mainframe, but since that you've given me the access codes..." He then switched disks in the drive and punched in certain code sequence. Immediately, his virus was launched directly into Nabiki's computer. He gleefully laughed at his computer monitor. "Heh! Take that Nabiki Tendo! Let's see how well your blackmail business goes when my Snake slithers through your operating protocols and swallows up those numbers! HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

_Oh boy! This guy needs to get out more often._ Ranma sighed then got serious again. "Okay, Shibana. You've had your fun. Now about that other favor?"

The computer nerd composed himself and nodded as he then began accessing the National Register of Japan. He then did some fancy hacking and five minutes later, brought up the file concerning Ranma Saotome. Looking up at the martial artist, he asked, "Last chance Ranma. Are you sure you want to... destroy yourself? Once this is gone, then it's more than likely that no one will ever find the hard copy. You know how the bureaucracy is here in Japan."

The former fiancee of Akane Tendo, Ukyo Kuonji and Shampoo's 'husband,' was silent for a very long time, then finally nodded. "Do it."

Takuya took a deep breath, then punched in the codes to terminate the file. A moment later, there was a beep and all traces of Ranma Saotome, save for the person himself... was gone.

"Okay, Ranma... I mean..." Takuya found himself at a loss. Technically, the person before him was now without an identity.

The martial artist nodded as he began instructing his friend to create a new identity for him. He had thought long and hard on who he would be and it was time to make his new self into a reality.

A few hours later, Takuya and his friend exited the computer room. The computer hacker turned to face the person who had helped him and his fellow students.

"Well, this is it, Ranma."

The pigtailed teen shook his head. "Don't call me Ranma. He's dead... we killed him, remember?"

"Yeah, I guess we did. So where are you heading?"

The former son of Genma shook his head as he hefted his pack. "Can't tell you. The less you know, the less Nabiki or the others can get out of you if they ask. Thanks a lot. You've been a great help." He held out his hand. Takuya took it in his own hand and shook it. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Maybe. In any case, it's a sure bet that what I'm looking for ain't here. Goodbye, Takuya Shibana."

As Ranma walked off toward his new destiny, Takuya nodded as he watched him leave Furinken and Nerima itself.

"Farewell... Eric Koboyashi."

End of Flashback...

Eric Koboyashi nodded as he held up a pair of shears. The new identity had been working so far. People who had met him since then knew him as a half-American whose parents had been killed in a plane crash overseas. He had chosen the Western name Eric and the common surname of Kobayashi to throw off anyone who would try to learn about his former life. He was now living in Hiroshima, working as a waiter in a small café. One of the most noticeable changes in his life was the absence of craziness when he was Ranma Saotome. That was the part that he liked the most. There was only one thing that still reminded him of his old existence and he was now ready to destroy that final link to his past.

With one deft movement, the length of hair that comprised his pigtail was sheared off and fell to the floor of the bathroom floor. Eric looked down at the mass of hair and nodded. Now he could truly move on.

Another month later...

"That will be 50 yen please."

Ranma nodded as he handed the shopkeeper the money and took the green onions he had purchased. However, as she took the money, the old woman also took the cigarette in his mouth and said, "Your lungs will thank me for it."

Ranma frowned at her as he walked away and said, "Yeesh. You women think you know everything, don't you?" He then trudged off to the small apartment that he was renting. As he walked, he began thinking about the past few months since he had abandoned his life as Ranma Saotome.

It had been a hard life, to be sure, especially since he left with barely any money and only the clothes and camping supplies in his backpack. But for the first time in his life, Ranma was free to do what he wanted and when he wanted. Ranma Saotome could never do what he wanted, but Eric Koboyashi was free to do as he damned well pleased and he liked it!

In addition to his new hairstyle and identity, he also changed his clothing style and was often seen wearing a white dress shirt that was half-tucked into his school uniform's dress pants.

The biggest change of all was Ranma's personality. Since his declaration to totally distance himself from females, Ranma had become an angry loner and outcast. And... he was happy with his image. He had later taken to smoking. Whether this was due to being with Soun Tendo or it was to fit in with his new identity, Ranma didn't give it a second thought. He found the taste of nicotine to be very relaxing, even though he knew that it was bad for his health, especially for a martial artist. He wasn't a heavy smoker like Soun, only smoking one cigarette every few days or so.

However, most people at school that knew him were under the impression that Ranma was a bona fide woman hater. Even with a new appearance, that certain something that always attracted women to him still drew the opposite sex to him like a magnet. Many schoolgirls had come to him asking for dates, but Ranma would always shoot them down without any compassion or subtlety. He would often state that women were useless and he'd rather stick his head into a blast furnace than commit to any girl. Since his experiences in Nerima, Ranma had decided that the less he had to do with girls, the better off he was. His language had become more profane as his bitterness increased.

This did not go well with the others, especially with a certain girl named Lisa Fujimatsu, who happened to be the class president. Many of her peers thought of her as somewhat of a mental case and she made no secret of making her opinions and disgust known to all, especially with Ranma's woman-hating attitudes. That suited Ranma just fine as he was reminded too much of Akane in her. Lisa was short-tempered and more than ready to use that longbow of hers on any that crossed her. There was a time in which Ranma thought they could at least be friends, when he helped her early on in the semester with her bicycle, but when she found out about his distaste toward women and how many hearts he had already broken, it all went downhill from there.

Though he was known to be a woman-hater and often rumored to be gay, the students of the High School also knew him to be the toughest guy around and an unbeatable fighter. Ranma had kept up with his martial arts training and even developed some new techniques during the time he left the Tendo Dojo. These skills had gotten him notoriety and even gained him a couple of admirers. In fact, as Ranma walked home, he saw the two he had saved from a vengeful football team.

The adolescents were accosting a young schoolgirl of about fifteen years of age. She was very nice looking and had long brown hair.

"No Stop! I will scream!"

The first teen, who had his black hair shaved close smirked as he put his arm around her and said, "Sure! And you can show us what other noises you can make!" Behind him, his friend also chuckled. The second teen had brown hair that was down in a kind of bowl cut. Both were wearing the school dress shirts and pants.

Just as the first boy was about to take certain liberties on the girl, he was suddenly sent sprawling as a foot connected with his face. The boy clutched at his face in pain as he fell on his rear. "_OW!_"

Ranma glared down at him and grunted. "Maybe that kick jumpstarted your brain! Hmph! And here I thought you couldn't get any more pathetic Brody."

Brody looked up at Ranma and grinned sheepishly. "Oh, hi Eric." He then gestured to the girl. "She and I went to Junior High together and I was just asking her to go to the reunion with me."

"I'm still in Junior High!" The girl said out loud, only to have her mouth covered up by the other boy. She jabbed an elbow into his side, making him release her.

Ranma knelt down at Brody and gave him a disdainful look. "Why waste your time in asking some girl for a date?"

"Hey there?" The girl said as she approached Ranma. "Wanna date me?"

Ranma snorted as he got up and gave her the once-over. She had quite a slender and enticing figure, but...

"Why? So you can flash your ass to every other guy when I'm not looking? Sheesh." He then turned and walked away without another word.

The girl then gave Ranma's retreating form a gesture with her middle finger and said, "Hey! I should have known that you would have a _BOYFRIEND_! You jerk!"

As Brody got up and stood with his friend, the other boy, whose name was Deiner by the way, shook his head and said, "Man! He's got some way with women. Deep down, he's a hopeless romantic."

"Yeah. It's too bad that every female that meets with him, wants to kill him." Brody remarked as he rubbed his sore nose.

High above the streets, a lone and garbed figure suddenly appeared on a rooftop and looked down on the people below. The stranger then focused on Ranma as he walked home and was not fooled by his different-looking appearance, or attitude.

"I finally found him."

It was near sunset as Ranma approached his apartment. As he trudged along, he thought back to his encounter with that girl and then to his previous life in Nerima. He then shook his head and thought. _Why would I want to complicate my life with something as unstable and useless as a woman?_

It was then that an abrupt wind was swept up, catching Ranma off guard and made him drop his grocery bag. He immediately went into a fighting stance as a cloud of dust appeared before him and then a mysterious person in a robe appeared before him.

"Who are you?"

The figure raised up a hand and the former heir to the Anything Goes glimpsed a strange glowing pattern on the back of her hand.

"I found you." The figure said quietly.

"Who are you?" Ranma repeated. "Show me your face if you want something from me!"

It was then that a bright yellow light appeared in her palm and then elongated as she clenched it. It become a long shaft of light and the figure then leapt up to swing it toward him like a kind of sword. Ranma, being long experienced with opponents with swords (Kuno and Mousse), dodged the swipe and lashed out with a roundhouse kick. The stranger leapt over the kick and Ranma used the opportunity to grab at the flowing robes. The garment came away easily, but was empty as Ranma looked up at whom was diving at her from above.

He found himself frozen at the sight that was silhouetted against the light of the full moon. He felt a bit of a nosebleed as he saw that the gaijin girl was like an angel from above, wielding a brilliant sword of light.

She was dressed in a skimpy green outfit that resembled a bikini with a halter-top that supported her more than ample bosom, even more so than Shampoo's (and that's saying a lot). Her long slender legs wore wrapped in green leggings that ran up to mid-thigh and she wore calf-length sandals. Her long blond hair was done up in a lush topknot-like style and tied with a red ribbon. Her slim waist was also wrapped with a red sash. She had lengthy sideburns done up in braids that reminded Ranma of Akane when he first met her. Her lush buxom figure seemed to radiate a kind of sensuality and power that made Ranma drop his guard and hatred for women for just an instant. However an instant was all that Balla, the High Priestess of the Tattoon Tribe needed as she swooped down and made an X-motion with her hands, splitting her light blade into two and leaving a crisscross pattern on Ranma's forehead.

Ranma stumbled back a bit as he felt a slight trickle of blood from the wound, which instantly sealed itself up. The girl then landed before him with a delighted sigh as she glanced at her handiwork.

The former Nerima resident felt his body tingle as if some weird power was now coursing through his limbs and he found himself unable to move as the girl then moved up to him and framed his face with her hands. She then leaned over and gently kissed the mark on his forehead. She looked into Ranma's dumfounded expression and gave him a small smile.

"In keeping with the laws of the Tattoon Tribe, you have just become my eternal husband."

"I'm your _HUSBAND_?!" Ranma eeped as he began having flashbacks of his experiences with a certain Amazon.

Balla smiled as she continued. "I have searched long and hard for you. Looking for you is like looking for a drop of water in a desert. Now I finally found you..." Balla finally gave into exhaustion and fell forward.

Ranma instinctively caught her before she fell flat on her face and wondered what to do with her next, when a slip of paper fell out from her top and floated to the ground. The former fiancé of Akane, Ukyo and Shampoo glanced down at the paper. He began to have a sinking feeling about this.

Later on...

"GENMA NO BAKA!"

Ranma clenched the paper that was in his hand and was so tempted to go back to Nerima and kick that stupid panda so hard that he'd better like life on Jupiter! Apparently, Genma had stumbled across the Tattoon Tribe when Ranma was still an infant, and used him once again as a bargaining chip for his life.

Some sixteen years ago...

"W-W-What?!" Genma gasped as the High Priest offered a bargain in exchange for his freedom.

"Genma Saotome, I shall spare your wretched life... if you are willing to betroth your son to my daughter."

"Huh?!" Genma looked up in surprise as the High Priest produced a sheet of paper and made some magical gestures. Words written in the Tattoon language appeared on it as the High Priest stated his terms.

"If you wish to leave this valley alive, then you shall pledge your son to my daughter Balla. She will become the High Priestess of our tribe some day and will need a strong husband by her side. You will be allowed to go with full provisions and to raise your child, but sixteen years from now, Balla shall come to collect her husband. All you have to do is sign and let your child place his handprint here. Do you agree to this?"

Genma saw a glimmer of hope as he nodded. Of course, he had no intention of fulfilling the pact. Ranma was already promised to one of Soun Tendo's daughters after all. Like the deal he made with the Daijkoku clan, Genma was going to welch on the bargain and these people will never get their hands on Ranma. After all, they would never be able to find them with just a signature and his son's handprint, right?

What Genma did not know as he signed the paper and put his child's handprint on it, was that the Tattoon Priest had cast a spell on the document which recorded Ranma's spiritual energies. The contract itself would lead Balla to her future husband. And it mattered not what the child was calling himself at the time, for the contract specifically promised the child whose handprint was on it, making it totally binding once Balla found her lifemate.

Present time...

Ranma snarled as he looked at the contract again and then stomped to where Balla was resting.

_I thought I was finally over that engagement thing, but Pops just had to sell me out one more time!_

As he threw open the sliding door, he found that Balla was awake. She then looked up at him with loving eyes.

"Hello."

"Did.. you ... have a ... nice sleep?" Ranma was just barely holding in his anger.

"Yes, thank you. And now my husband..."

"_I'M NOT YOUR HUSBAND!_" Ranma shouted. It was like talking to Shampoo all over again.

"But... according to tribal law... I'm supposed to..."

"_GET OUT OF MY HOME!_" Ranma shouted. "_LEAVE ME ALONE!_"

It was then that a sudden wind was suddenly swept up inside of the apartment as Balla stood up in a bit a huff.

"_OH NO! I WON"T GO AWAY!_" Balla's forehead glowed with an eerie light as a strange symbol appeared. "_I MARRIED YOU, SO COME HERE AND BE MY HUSBAND!_"

"_OH CRAP!_" Ranma exclaimed as he started raising his own battle aura. The energies that the Tattoon Priestess was emitting began to interact with Ranma's ki. "_OH BLAST!_"

"_OKAY!_" Balla exclaimed.

_**KABOOOM!**_

The apartment shuddered as the conflicting energies collided with one another. By some miracle, the building remained intact as only the windows were blown out. Inside of the domicile, Ranma and Balla were on the floor, breathing hard after discharging all that power, as they looked at one another in shock.

Ranma was the first to speak.

"Well... if you put it that way, then... stay."

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Now I know that a lot of you are saying that Ranma is acting way out of character, but with all the stuff that happened to him in the original series, can you blame him? I always did like the rebel without a cause personality of Eric in the OAV and I thought that if Ranma was pushed to the limit, then he might start hating girls as well, right? This was written on a dare when a friend challenged me to try and combine Ranma 1/2 with Tattoon Master and I think I didn't do a bad job with it. Where could I go with this? Well, I suppose that Ranma might learn how to use Tattoon Power, and I have some ideas of the Nerima cast showing up. The scratch on Eric's head in the OAV allowed him to defeat Hydra, right? Maybe that mark on Ranma's head might cancel out the Jusenkyo curse? So many crazy ideas, so little time.

Well, I've finished with the rewrite and I like it. Basically, the story hasn't changed, but I felt the need to fill in some gaps and make it more fuller. The first chapter did seem like it was just repeating the Tattoon Master Episode 1, so I added some extra scenes. I never thought that Tattoon Ranma would receive so many responses and I'm glad that it's developed so much.

I'm going to revising some of the other chapters as well, but I still will be continuing it as it goes along. I have about fifteen chapters planned for this fic with a possibility of some more, so stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 2: Ranma's Curse, And I Don't Me...

Tattoon Ranma

: Thoughts  
( ): Panda signs.

**Chapter 2**

Ranma's Curse, And I Don't Mean Jusenkyo!

One week after Ranma had left Nerima...

"_RANMA NO BAKA!_"

Nabiki sighed as she watched her sister stomp into the house. Her little sister had been getting angrier each day since her fiance had abandoned her and all his other obligations. With Ranma gone, it didn't take the male students of Furinken High long to realize that Akane was once again available. That meant that the old, defeat-Akane-so-you-can-date-her routine was back in full force. And guess who was the first to challenge her again?

"_STUPID KUNO! STUPID BOYS! STUPID PERVERTS! THIS IS ALL THAT BAKA'S FAULT!_" Akane screamed as she slammed her bookbag onto the floor before going up to her room.

Nabiki sighed as she decided that now was the time to be concerned. She had been expecting Ranma to return in a few days after he had cooled off from that little incident, which had reduced a city block to rubble, but no one had seen or heard from him since then. He had never failed before to come back. After all, where could he go? However, he never came back to the Tendo home, never appeared at school and he had not been sighted at his usual haunts for the past several days. Now it was time to face facts. Ranma had meant what he said when he had told her father and Genma that he was quitting.

This wasn't good. Nabiki knew that her finances were going to take a sharp nosedive if her prime source of income was unavailable. Ranma would have to be found and quickly. The middle Tendo daughter took a deep breath and decided to pull out every bit of information she had on Ranma in the hopes that they might provide her with a clue to his whereabouts.

As she headed up to her room, she glanced over to the back patio where her father and Genma were involved in yet another round of Shogi. However, they had a very depressed look about them as they didn't seem interested in the game. Soun had been wailing non-stop ever since Ranma disappeared, whining and moaning about how the schools would never be joined. Genma had been trying to comfort his friend, but with no such luck and often cursed the powers that be, as to how he had ended up with such an ungrateful child who would shirk his family's honor.

Nabiki knew that she had to find Ranma and get things back to the way they were, with her in control of course. She wasn't about to let him just walk away like that. He owed her and Nabiki had always seen to it that he pay her, with interest. As she entered her room, she went straight to her computer and turned it on. After punching in her passwords, she then brought up the file on Ranma and found... nothing.

_Huh? Where are my files? _ Nabiki tried again to bring up the information she had on Ranma and ended up with a blank screen and a small message. _File not found? What's going on?_ She made several more attempts, and then decided to try a different approach. She reached into a drawer of her desk to pull out the information she had saved on some disks. After all, a good mercenary like herself always kept back-ups.

She took out a disk and inserted it into her drive. She then opened the file stored on the disk and was surprised to see her screen suddenly show static, then became blank again. A message flashed on her screen, saying that the files were not available.

_What the Hell?_ Nabiki decided to try another disk. However, as soon as she inserted it into the drive, it too showed nothing but a blank screen. She tried again with a third disk, then a fourth. She went through all the disks concerning Ranma, seven in all, and ended up with nothing but a blank screen. She couldn't understand what was going on until after her seventh try.

After inserting the last disk and trying to access its contents, her screen suddenly flashed and the image of a cartoon snake with arms appeared and began a kind of slithering jig. It then hissed at Nabiki, sticking out its tongue and pulling down the lower eyelid of its right eye at her; the Japanese Raspberry! Then it spoke...

"Hello! All data in your computer and whatever disks you inserted has been eaten by the Cyber-Snake! From one snake to another, have a nice day, Nabiki Tendo!"

Nabiki blanched as she realized that someone had infected her computer with a virus, which meant... She looked down at the disks and realized that their files must have been deleted when she inserted them. All the information on them and the hard drive was now lost. Whoever created this virus must have had a grudge with her to do something this complex. Of course, she wasn't exactly certain who it was, considering how many enemies she had made with her schemes.

However, the middle daughter of Soun Tendo wasn't about to quit, not by a long shot. She may not be able to use her computer, but she still had hard copies of her records. She went over to where she kept all of her most secret information, including the most private files she had on Ranma. However, as she opened up the floorboard near her bed, and took out the box that was in it, she noticed that it felt... lighter than she remembered. She began to get that sinking feeling as she opened it. The girl frowned as she saw that the stack of files was indeed lower. As she leafed through the papers, she noted that all records concerning Ranma were gone. She saw that the records of her dealings with the school's computer club were missing as well. She began to put two and two together.

We now fast-forward to the day after Balla had arrived...

Balla awoke as the rising sun cast its rays into the crudely repaired window of her bedroom. She let off a gentle yawn and stretched out. She then giggled a bit and decided to see if Ranma had awakened yet. As she removed the borrowed flannel pajama top that she used as a nightdress and began putting on her regular clothes, her thoughts went back to the night before.

Ranma had displayed a kind of power that she had never encountered before, and had been actually able to deflect the blast she had released. There was a kind of... animal magnetism about him that drew her to him like a moth to a flame. But it wasn't his extraordinary power that she liked about him. Beneath that abrasive exterior, she could still feel the gentle soul within. That is what she felt when her father had given her the mystic contract. She felt his very spirit within that piece of paper and knew right off from the start that Ranma was the one for her. She just needed some time for him to get to know her, that's all. With a new determined feeling, she went out to look for him. She soon found him practicing in the backyard. As Ranma silently went through his katas, Balla found herself transfixed at the display of skill.

Ranma was already aware of her presence but decided to ignore her as he went through his morning routines. He kicked and punched at invisible enemies. Every time he threw a punch, he saw Kuno's face being pulped. Every block deflected an imagined Lost Boy's attack and he could almost feel Mousse's gut when he kicked out with his feet. His movements seemed like some graceful ballet of combat. He made several thirty-foot leaps into the air, often defying gravity for several seconds as he demonstrated the specialty of the Saotome School of the Anything Goes. After leaping about the backyard like a grasshopper that was experiencing a sugar rush, Ranma landed in front of a makeshift training dummy, which was a simple wooden post that was wrapped in cotton batting.

"_KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!_"

Balla gasped as she saw her 'husband' deliver a hundred punches in about five seconds. The dummy was reduced to splinters and tattered cloth in moments. However, Ranma's frustrations and anger over the recent developments had not abated and his aura began to appear about him. It glowed a bright red and continued to enlarge as the martial artist decided to use the technique he had spent over a month in developing after leaving Nerima. After reducing a square block to rubble in Tokyo, he had decided to expand on the new ki technique that he had inadvertently stumbled upon.

Taking slow deep breaths, Ranma cupped his hands forward and held them out as if he were holding a ball. He slowly pulled them back until they were at his waistline on his right side. Concentrating his anger into the space between his palms, a ball of red, hot energy began to form.

Balla then noticed something odd. The mark on Ranma's forehead began to glow and started to alter into a character of the Tattoon language. She knew what was happening and held her breath as her beloved prepared to release the energy.

"_YAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!_"

As Ranma thrust his hands forward, his battle aura flared as he released his ki as one massive fireball. The projectile sped forward, then crashed into the wall of the backyard, exploding in a huge flash. When the blast subsided, there was a huge gaping hole in the concrete with melted edges.

Ranma let off a tired sigh and collapsed to his knees, his angry aura fading away. It was then that Balla came rushing up to him and glomped onto him with a force that would have made Shampoo green with envy.

"Darling! Are you all right?"

"_ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!_" Ranma cried out. The last thing he needed was some girl glomping onto him. He tried to pry Balla off of him, but had no such luck as she continued to hold him and nuzzle against him.

We now rewind to Nerima, a few days after Nabiki's computer files were erased...

"Okay Shibana, out with it! I know that either you or one of your friends was responsible for that virus that was fed into my computer!" Nabiki accused as she faced the head of the Furinken Computer Club. Behind her were two of her cohorts who helped out with her blackmail and betting pools.

The techno-whiz shrugged as he replied. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He glanced over to his cohorts and addressed them. "Hey guys! Were any of you messing around with Miss Tendo's PC?"

All the members of the club knew the truth, but after the great favors that Ranma had done for them, they weren't about to rat on their leader or their savior.

"Nope!"

"I never touched it!"

"Why are you asking me?"

"I had nothing to do with it."

Takuya nodded as he faced Akane's sister again. "There, you see? None of my guys were responsible, and I certainly didn't do it."

During the course of her mercenary career, Nabiki had picked up certain observation skills and intuition. Takuya Shibana and his fellow computer geeks were hiding their expressions well, but she knew that they were lying. The main problem was, she had no proof. The Cyber-Snake virus that had destroyed her files had been very thorough and left no traces or clues of who created it. Her desktop would have to be scrapped as the virus had devastated its processor and motherboard.

"Oh and by the way, Nabiki." Takuya added. "The Computer Club had taken a vote, and it was unanimously decided that you and your friends are not going to get any more freebies. If you want new equipment and the latest software, then you're going to have to pay for it, just like everyone else. We're also not going to do any more hacking for you."

Nabiki gave the teen her self-styled smirk. "Oh really? And just what do you think the school board is going to say when I tell them about that ugly little incident last month? Just what do you think is going to happen when they learn who was responsible for planting that virus into the school records, hmm?"

Shibana laughed as he replied. "Oh, I don't know. I mean, nobody admitted to the crime and there was no evidence."

Nabiki's brow furrowed as she became more irritated. "Let's stop this nonsense now, Shibana. I want some answers! First of all, you can tell me where Ranma is!"

"Why are you asking me? I don't know where he is. Nobody's seen him. Right, guys?"

"Right!" The others said at once.

Nabiki shrugged while reining in her anger at his smug expression. "All right. You can have your fun, but you _WILL_ be telling me everything before the end of the day."

"I doubt it, since me and the guys don't know anything." Takuya said as he and the Computer Club turned around and walked away.

The middle Tendo daughter fumed as she watched them leave. _Mark my words, you'll soon be begging to tell me where Ranma is._

"What?! What do you mean it's gone?" Nabiki exclaimed at Shidori.

Her henchgirl shrugged as she replied. "I mean, it's gone. The evidence about the Computer Club, that that you hid in the gym... is gone. I found this though."

The girl handed her superior a piece of paper which had a typed message on it, saying:

_**THE CYBER-SNAKE HAS STRUCK!**_

The message also had a cartoon image of the computer virus giving her a Japanese Raspberry. Nabiki was not amused. Just then, Sanoko came up to them.

"So did you get the dirt we collected on Takuya and Daimon?" Nabiki asked. Takuya was the head of the club and Daimon was his right-hand man. They were the most likely people to ask about where Ranma had disappeared to.

Sanoko shook her head as she handed her boss another piece of paper which read:

_**THE CYBER-SNAKE HAS STRUCK AGAIN!**_

Nabiki became even more irritated. Apparently, the hard copy files that had been stolen from her room had contained the locations of where she had hidden all the evidence she had collected on the Computer Club. It would be a waste of time to check the other places, since it was likely that Shibana and his friends would have raided those areas by now.

Nabiki shook her head. Shaking down those techno-geeks for information about Ranma's whereabouts was not going to be as easy as she thought. After all, their collective IQ ratings were a lot higher than that pigtailed jock's. There was just no way Ranma could have pulled it off on his own.

Now we rejoin Ranma in the present...

"So I said to her, let's go to my place." Brody said as he, Deiner and Ranma were hanging out near the side of a building, smoking cigarettes.

"Yeah, whatever..." Ranma commented as he took a slow puff. _These guys are so hopeless. I'll bet they'd give anything to be in the situation I'm in. Hell, I'd bet they'd even enjoy what I had to put up with in Nerima._

Hoping to change the subject, Ranma took the cigarette out of his mouth and addressed them. "Hey guys... how would you like to go out with a girl with magic powers?"

The two teens looked at their companion with puzzled expressions. Ranma growled at them then grabbed Brody by the front of his shirt.

"I'm trying to set you up, you dopes!"

Brody gave Ranma a nervous smile. "Geez, take it easy man."

Deiner grinned. "This reminds me of the time my mother tried to set me up with the daughter of her best friend. She really turned out to be a real mental case." He gave the two of them a wink.

It was at that moment that a girl with a longbow turned around the corner.

The afternoon sunlight glinted off her large, wire-rimmed sunglasses as she glared at the three.

"I hope I'm not interrupting some male bonding experience." Lisa said with a bit of disdain.

"Hey Lisa." Deiner greeted.

Brody freed himself from Ranma's grip and glared back at Lisa. He tried to put up his tough guy routine. "Why don't you just leave us alone and go kiss some teacher's ass?"

Lisa's response was short and to the point... literally, as she held up her bow and notched and arrow. "Because I'm hunting morons."

Brody then gave Lisa a nervous smile and laugh while waving his hand as he found himself in front of Lisa's arrow.

"See, like I said... a real mental case." Deiner whispered to Ranma.

The martial artist shrugged as he casually strolled away and leaped over the school walls.

Lisa's expression softened as she watched Ranma depart. She lowered her bow and had a forlorn look in her eyes.

_Eric..._

When Ranma arrived at his home, he paused at the front door and wondered just what he was going to do with Balla. He wanted nothing to do with women and decided that she would just have to listen to reason and leave him alone. He steeled himself and opened the door...

"_HI HONEY!_"

"What the...?!"

Balla bounced (in more ways than one) over to Ranma and had him in a glomp that nearly bowled the two of them over the railing. Balla sighed as she nuzzled close to him.

Ranma became extremely nervous at the compromising position they were in. "What are you doing? Someone might see us!"

Balla didn't answer immediately and continued to sigh contentedly.

"What are _YOU_ so happy about?" Ranma asked angrily as he tried to disentangle himself from her.

Balla's smile became even more pronounced as she replied in a dreamy voice. "Because now that you've returned, we can finally consummate our marriage by engaging in the physical act of love!"

"_AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!_"

Later that evening...

Ranma scratched the back of his head while he was facing away from where Balla was kneeling. He tried his best to think up of a way to get Balla to give up this marriage nonsense and go back home. All he started off with was...

"Uh, Balla..."

"Oh wait! Say that again!"

"Huh?" Ranma looked over his shoulder.

"You said my name for the very first time! That means you really _DO_ love me!" With that, the High Priestess of the Tattoon Tribe tackled Ranma to the floor and hugged him tight. "I knew it! My Ranma!"

"Will you cut that out!" The angry martial artist managed to wriggle free of her embrace and stood up. "And don't call me Ranma! As far as I'm concerned, Ranma Saotome died months ago! The name's Eric Koboyashi and you've got the wrong guy!"

Balla went back to a kneeling position and took out the contract. "I don't think so. The contract confirms that you are my husband. See?" She moved the paper closer to him, which then gave off a white glow. "This contract was signed by your father Genma Saotome and imprinted with your spiritual energies. That means that you are..."

Ranma angrily snatched the page out of her hand and turned his back to her. Sure enough, he recognized Genma's signature. He then paced back toward the other side of the room and muttered to himself. "Damned stupid oyaji! I should have known he'd sold me out to more than just the Kuonji and Daijkoku families!"

"Excuse me?" Balla became confused.

Ranma let off a tired sigh as he realized that he had just admitted that he was Ranma Saotome. "All right, all right... I _USED_ to be Ranma Saotome, but... I left my family and changed my name to Eric Koboyashi..."

"I knew it!" Balla launched herself again and happily glomped onto him and bowled him over again. "My darling Ranma, I mean Eric!"

"_ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!_" It was like being glomped by Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi all at once. "Cut that out! Get off me will ya?!"

After pushing the affectionate priestess off him, Ranma stood up, faced her and said, "As I was saying, this contract was made when I was too young to know anything. That stupid panda that I used to call my Pop did this to save his own skin. If I had known what I was signing, I would have not done it. Besides, you're not my type."

"Not your type?!" Balla said with anger as she stood up to face him. "So what kind of girl is your type? Or do you prefer men?"

Ranma became flustered at the accusation. "H-H-Hey! I'm not gay!"

"Then why won't you fall in love with me?"

"_BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW YOU!_" Ranma shouted out.

"_LOVE ME!_" Balla cried out as she took hold of the contract that was still clenched in Ranma's hand.

"_BACK OFF!_"

"_LOVE ME!_"

_**RIIIIIPPPPP!**_

The contract came apart into two pieces, as Balla sank to her knees, clutching her half, which began to glow with an eerie light. Ranma became speechless as he saw tears beginning to form in her eyes. His fingers became limp and the shred of paper dropped towards the floor. However, it did not land on the tatami mats as it glowed with that same white light, and flew toward the piece that was clutched in Balla's hands. In less than an instant, the two halves of the contract fused together into one piece again, as if the contract had never been torn. It was at that moment that Balla's tears began to flow.

"From the first moment I was given the contract... I loved you. Even though you were just some handprint on a piece of paper. I could feel the gentle soul within you and when we met... I knew that you had what I wanted in a husband. If... you had rejected me that first time... I would have gone away. But you were so kind and nursed me back to health. I knew from that moment that my love for you would never die."

As Balla looked up at him with those soulful eyes, Ranma winced as he felt that old familiar feeling which just couldn't stand to see a girl in tears. He let off a sigh and said, "Look, I really don't know what to say, but I'm not the guy you're looking for."

"You are!" Balla insisted as she came to her feet, clutching the contract to her chest.

"I'm not!" Ranma said adamantly.

"Your feelings can change!" Balla continued to insist.

"What if I don't want to change?" Ranma said as he walked over to the dining table. "Besides..." His gaze then fell on a glass of ice water. "There's something about me that would probably make you rethink about this marriage idea of yours."

"What do you mean?" Balla asked.

Ranma gave a long heavy sigh and then picked up the glass. "I guess it's best that I show you. Maybe this will convince you that I'm not husband material." He promptly dumped the contents of the glass over his head and turned to face her. "See?"

"See what?"

At that moment, Ranma looked down at himself and saw no additional fullness in his chest. He used his hands to feel for breasts, but didn't find any.

"What's going on? Why isn't it happening?"

"What's supposed to happen?" Balla asked. "Why did you dump water on yourself? And why are you feeling your chest?"

Ranma didn't answer as he ran to the bathroom and turned on the cold water faucet. He repeatedly splashed himself in the face and gazed at his reflection in the mirror. His hair did not take on its usual red coloring, nor did he reduce in stature. When he looked down his pants and confirmed that a certain part of his anatomy was still present, he then looked back up at his reflection with wide-eyed shock. It was then that he stared at the X-shaped mark on his forehead and recalled the odd feeling he had when Balla scratched him. He ran back into the living room and pointed to the mark as he addressed Balla.

"Did you do this?"

"What do you mean?" Balla asked innocently.

"Did you remove my Jusenkyo curse when you scratched me?"

"Jusenkyo? You were at Jusenkyo? Why were you at that awful place?" Balla became even more confused.

"You... know about Jusenkyo?" Ranma asked.

Balla nodded. "As part of my training to be the Tattoon Tribe's High Priestess, I did visit Jusenkyo." She got up and raised a palm in front of Ranma and focused her energy. The tattoo symbol that was usually hidden from sight appeared on the back of her hand as she mystically probed her husband. She then gasped. "Oh! You did get cursed by Jusenkyo, but... I can only feel traces of that curse now and even those are fading away."

"You mean... I'm cured?" Ranma became speechless. After all the troubles the curse had caused with both girls and boys, it was now gone. The girl with whom he wanted nothing to do with had freed him of the cause of so many of his pains in Nerima.

Balla studied Ranma a little more before lowering her hand and made the tattoo disappear. "I see. When I gave you the Mark of Bonding, it must have... interacted with your Jusenkyo curse and canceled it out."

"I... don't know what to say... I... can't believe I'm free of it." Ranma couldn't think of anything more to say but "Thank you."

"Welcome darling!" Balla glomped onto him once more.

Ranma's hatred of women soon surfaced as he pushed her away. "Look Balla, though I am grateful that I'm cured and all, that still doesn't change the fact that I'm not going to go along with this marriage thing! I had enough of that crap back in Nerima, and I certainly don't want to start that again! I'm sorry but you're just going to have to forget about this!"

"But the contract..."

"Screw that friggin' contract! I'll _NEVER FALL IN LOVE_!" Ranma retorted as he turned away from her and headed toward the door. "If you won't leave, then I guess I will!" He slammed the door behind him, leaving Balla alone with her thoughts.

Later that night...

Deiner heard a rap on his bedroom window and saw Ranma clinging to the side and gesturing him to open the window.

"What are you doing man?" Deiner asked as he opened the window and saw that Ranma was just barely keeping his footing on a narrow ledge.

"Hey, can I crash here with you tonight?"

"You are just too much!"

Back in Nerima, a few months before...

The Tendo family had begun to realize just how important Ranma's presence was to holding Nerima together. For one thing, without Ranma, there was nothing to keep Happosai in check...

"_WOO HOO! WHAT A HAUL! WHAT A HAUL!_"

Soun was on the verge of another nervous breakdown as his perverted master came in with more than twice the amount of stolen women's underwear than the night before. Usually, Ranma was there to stop Happosai from going overboard, but without him, the unmentionables of every female in Tokyo was at the mercy of the greatest evil in all of Japan.

"_OH, THE HORROR!_" The Tendo patriarch wailed, as he knew that if anyone were to know that the Dreaded Underwear Thief was residing at his home, then the dignity and prestige of the Tendo Dojo would be ruined! Not that it had a reputation to begin with, but...

Soun turned to his friend while sobbing. "Oh Saotome! What is to become of our dream to unite the schools? Where is your _SON_?!"

"Now, now Tendo, I'm sure that Ranma will turn up soon." Genma feebly assured.

"That's what you said a _MONTH_ ago!"

At that time, Happosai went skipping toward the front door. "Well, see you later boys! I'm off to work!"

"B-B-But... M-M-Master! You just came back!"

"I just got my second wind! I trying to beat my personal best! Bye now!"

Soun began wailing anew as Genma could only shake his head. _Blast it! Where is that **BOY**?!_ He cursed anew at the fates who had given him such an unworthy son. A son who would jeopardize his family honor and his father's well-deserved and luxurious early retirement.

And Nodoka? What would his wife think when she learned that their only son was missing? The cursed martial artist began absently rubbing his neck with his hand as he thought about the consequences about a certain contract he had signed when he took Ranma on that ten-year training journey.

He then began thinking about another contract he had signed years ago. He breathed out a sigh of relief. At least he didn't have to worry about _THAT_ promise.

Back to Hiroshima, present time...

Back at Ranma's apartment, Balla continued to gaze at the contract and began having thoughts about her last discussion with her father, a few weeks before she left to search for her betrothed.

Flashback...

"So this Ranma is my husband?" Balla asked as her father gave her the contract.

"Yes, child. You were both betrothed sixteen years ago and it is now time for you to claim him."

"Is he a good person?"

Shiror took in a deep breath before saying, "Well, I'm not sure since he was no more than a year old when I last saw him. However, I sensed great potential and a kind heart, unlike his father."

Balla smiled as she sensed the same from the spiritual impressions on the contract. "He will be a good man. I will take him!"

Balla's father nodded as he said, "I wouldn't have engaged him to you if I wasn't certain that he would be a fine husband. Now I'll imagine that he will fight this, but do not despair. I'm certain that he will come around if you are patient."

End of flashback...

Balla smiled at the memory of her father's words. She decided to redouble her efforts and spend as much time with Ranma as she could. That meant going with him to school. She then went into Ranma's closet and drawers for anything for her to wear. She came across an old school uniform that her formally cursed husband had been using when in his altered form. She wondered why Ranma would have such a thing, but then shrugged it off. Seeing that the uniform was a bit small for her, she decided to make some alterations. Fortunately, she was quite an adept seamstress.

The very next morning, Ranma and his friends were casually strolling down the front schoolyard. Brody and Denier were walking behind a tired and very depressed martial artist and wondered why he was giving them the silent treatment.

"Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Deiner remarked.

"Hey man, do you need any help?" Brody asked.

Ranma pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. _Yeah, too bad you don't know anything about girls._ "Just leave me alone!" During the night, he had felt guilty about leaving Balla the way he did and wondered if he should go back home to apologize to her. He reversed his direction and started heading away from the schoolyard.

"It's a little early to be leaving school, don't you think Eric?"

Ranma frowned as he saw Lisa glare at him. He then shrugged and replied as he sidestepped her and continued on. "Well I guess you don't know me very well."

"I've heard the rumors... _WOMAN-HATER!_"

It was at that moment that Ranma heard a familiar, bubbly voice from the second floor.

"Hi, Eric!"

"Huh?" He looked up and saw Balla waving from a window. A large sweat drop appeared on the back of his head and his eyes widened in shock. "What the hell...?" He saw the priestess lean forward and prepared to jump out of the window. "_NO!_ Not here!"

"_AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!_"

The martial artist sped forward and leapt high to intercept Balla as she came down. As they landed with Balla in his arms, Ranma gritted his teeth and reined in his anger.

"What the _HELL_ are you doing here?"

Balla shrugged as she said, "I wanted to be here to make sure you showed up."

"Why can't I understand anything you say?" Ranma commented as he set her down, then pointed at what she was wearing. "What the...?! Where did you get that school uniform?!" It looked awfully familiar.

Balla held up the skirt, showing off her fabulous legs and said, "I found it in one of your drawers. It was a bit small, so I had it altered and..."

Ranma wasn't listening as he slapped his forehead and muttered, "Why me? I should be looking into therapy!"

"Somebody has been keeping secrets." Brody said as he pushed Lisa to one side.

"Introduce us to your chick, man." Denier said as he roughly pushed Lisa to the other side.

"Lover boy." The two teased as they approached them, but Ranma responded with two elbows to the their guts and followed by two backhand fists to their faces. "_OW!_"

Lisa stepped forward angrily and stood defiantly in front of the two. "Will somebody explain to me what's going on? Don't tell me that this girl has made the mistake of falling in love with you, Eric."

Balla cheerfully waved to Lisa and said, "_HI!_ I'm Balla and Eric and I got married and... mmpf!" She was quickly cut off as Ranma covered her mouth.

Homeroom...

"_AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!_" Brody and Denier said as they were told of the bombshell.

"I can't believe that you went, and like totally gotten married, dude." Denier remarked in awe.

"I guess I shouldn't have believed all those crazy stories that went around 'bout you being gay." Brody said with a sheepish grin.

"You just reminded me Brody. I win the bet and you like totally owe me 5000 yen."

"Will you guys knock it off!" Ranma growled as Balla continued to hang onto him and sighing contentedly.

"Isn't he a dream?" Balla said.

"Heh, can I date your wife?" Denier asked.

"Hey, me first!" Brody said.

"I can't believe that this is happening." Lisa said as she approached Ranma and Balla. "What kind of idiot would fall in love with a jerk like him? How could you even call yourself a woman? Traitor!"

"Knock it off, you psycho!" Ranma said as he tensed up when Lisa began drawing her bow at him.

"I'd be doing her a favor... Eric!" Lisa retorted as she began to take aim.

This made all the other students nervous, as a potential situation was about to explode. Ranma began thinking of the best way to disarm her, when Balla suddenly stepped in front of him and took a stance. "Don't you say such things about my Eric! You mess with him, you mess with me!"

"You would be no match for me!" Lisa spat back.

Ranma groaned. This was happening just like in Nerima and what got him on his girl-hating attitude. Once again, he was being given no say in the matter and two girls were fighting over him like some kind of prize. He then blanched as he saw the tattoos on Balla's hand begin to appear and a sudden wind was blowing in the classroom. Ranma made the decision to defuse the situation and promptly grabbed Balla by the waist and dashed out of the room in huge dust cloud.

"You can't escape!" Lisa cried out as she tried to follow, but by that time, Ranma and Balla were long gone.

On the roof...

"Look, I don't want you picking any fights with that girl, okay?" Ranma said.

Balla wasn't convinced. "She appears to be your enemy. The enemy of my husband is my enemy as well!"

"It's not like that, okay!" Ranma snapped, then calmed down. "Lisa's just a very... lonely girl, that's all. I really don't think she'd hurt anyone, you know what I mean?"

Balla's expression softened as she smiled at her beloved. "You know what?

Underneath that gruff exterior is a kind and sweet person, just like I knew there was."

Ranma became very agitated as he tried to deny it. "If I'm so sweet and kind, then how come everyone treats me like some kind of angry outcast?

Because that's what I am, damn it!"

"Oh I don't think so!" Balla giggled as she glomped onto him and nuzzled close.

"_AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!_"

As Ranma tried to pry her off, a random thought came into his head. _I don't know why girls keep coming after me! It's a curse! **A GOD-DAMNED CURSE!**_

Nerima, two months after Ranma's desertion...

"I wish these stupid idiots would just lay off!" Akane said as she finished off the last of the morning mob. After Ranma had left, Akane was now constantly fighting hordes of boys who wanted to date her. It wasn't limited to mornings either. Now they were attacking her at every opportunity. Naturally, she blamed it all on Ranma and took out her frustrations on the hordes of hentais. Kuno was the worst of the lot as he redoubled his efforts to win his beautiful tigress and lamented about how the 'pigtailed goddess' was still in Saotome's clutches.

As if Kuno and the morning mobs weren't bad enough, Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi had placed her at the top of their hit lists as they blamed her for making Ranma abandon them. Constantly being attacked by an angry Amazon, an irate okonomiyaki chef and a psychotic gymnast had made her life totally unbearable. One or the others attacked her several times a day and of course, she blamed this on Ranma as well.

The Tendo dojo had also suffered on hard times. With Ranma gone, Nabiki's major source of income had also vanished. With no pictures of the 'pigtailed girl', betting outcomes on fights or other blackmail schemes in the works, the income flow had taken a sharp nosedive. Genma's appetite was taxing the Tendo's food bill. There was no help from either him or Soun as both would just moan on and on about how the schools would never be joined. Happosai was now unstoppable in his panty raids. Akane blamed all of this on Ranma.

Ryoga had been on a kind of vengeance kick as he blamed all the problems that Akane was experiencing on Ranma. Of course, Akane still didn't know about P-Chan and thought that whatever Ryoga was currently feeling was also Ranma's fault. It always was, wasn't it?

As Nerima began to go even further downhill, in her room, Nabiki nodded as she checked through several records. Since questioning and trying to blackmail the Furinken Computer Club had been a dismal failure, the mercenary sister of Akane and Kasumi had to resort to other sources of information. She had questioned the other students of the high school and had only been able to piece together a scant hypothesis of what could have happened to Ranma and where he was now. It was obvious that he was no longer in Tokyo. After all, his exploits had made him a local legend in the martial arts circles and he was very easy to recognize. However, as the search for him expanded, Nabiki had only begun to pick up some very faint clues to his whereabouts. She had followed a _LOT_ of false leads and such before finally coming across a few individuals who had glimpsed Ranma getting aboard a bullet train heading out to Kyoto. However, the trail had grown cold, for he could have gone anywhere after getting off the train, even out of Japan itself.

Nabiki wasn't about to give up. She knew that Ranma was out there, somewhere, and she would find him. She had invested too much in him for her to lose him now. And when she did find him, he would pay everything that he owed to her, with interest.

To be continued...

Author's notes

Well, I hope this rewrite has been enjoyable and cleared up a few things as well as fleshed things out. I decided to show some scenes on how the rest of the Nerima Gang had fared when Ranma left them and I'll add more in the next few chapters, which will eventually lead up to the NWC finding Ranma. However, they'd better watch out, 'cause Ranma/Eric isn't going to give up his new life without a fight.

Tattoon Ranma has become quite enjoyable to write, but all things must come to an end and this fic will have a definite conclusion. I just want to have much fun as I can getting there.


	3. Chapter 3: Fight!

Tattoon Ranma

Disclaimer: Help! I've started writing and I can't stop!

: Thoughts

**Chapter 3**

Fight!

At the archery range of Ranma's school, Lisa Fujimatsu was practicing with her longbow. As she quietly notched another one of her arrows, and took aim at the center target, her thoughts went back to her last encounter with Eric and that blonde floozy who claimed to be his wife.

Flashback...

Balla: You mess with him, and then you'll mess with me!

End of flashback...

_**FFFFT! THUNK!**_

Lisa frowned as her arrow hit the outer ring of the target. Definitely not her best. She sighed as she then lined up another arrow and drew back the bowstring. Just as she took aim and was about to release...

"_HI LISA!_"

"_WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!_"

**_FFFT!_**

Lisa was frantically waving her bow as Balla had suddenly appeared before her. The Tattoon girl was now standing on one leg with her head thrown back with an arrow protruding from her forehead. Balla's right hand was clutching the shaft near its point. Lisa had never actually killed anyone with her arrows before and thought that this was the end, when Balla then straightened up and showed that she had just barely caught the arrow before it had hit her in the head.

"Whew! That was close!" Balla said in relief. She then looked down at Lisa, who was lying on the ground with one leg raised and bent haphazardly. (You know, like Ranma used to do).

"Urk!"

Balla smiled down at the Fujimatsu girl and smiled. "Let's be friends."

Lisa angrily sat up and glared at the High Priestess. "What are you doing here? _TRAITOR!_"

Nerima, three months after Ranma left...

Nabiki growled as she looked at the latest figures that her flunky had handed to her. Blackmail was down. Betting pools were down. Extortion was down by eighty-five percent, especially with the Computer Club! Who would've thought that those techno-geeks would develop backbones after Ranma had departed?

Furthermore, Shibana and his crew were not just protecting themselves from the Ice Queen's reach. They had somehow gotten a hold of the computer and hardcopy files that the middle Tendo daughter had on the other students at Furinken. What she didn't know was that Shibana's Cyber-Snake virus had copied all of her files and downloaded the information to his own computer before destroying the records in her PC. This included the locations of all the hard copy files of her other 'clients,' as well as her information sources. Now a large number of students and even some of the teaching staff were breaking free of her control. They knew who worked for her and what kind of dirt she had on them. Without those files, Nabiki couldn't force them to do her bidding anymore.

The baseball, soccer, and basketball teams were now refusing to throw games to fix the odds for her betting pools. The chemistry and other science clubs had banded with Shibana's, cutting off her supplies to technology, chemicals and other such equipment. The journalist and video clubs denied her access to the microphones, cameras and camcorders. The school newspaper wasn't letting her anywhere near the printing press. The writing clubs were not going to forge or falsify any notes, letters and documents for her. With her main support in Ranma gone, Nabiki's empire had slowly but surely, begun to crumble.

Present time, Hiroshima...

_**FFFT! THUNK!**_

A bulls eye this time.

"What the heck do you see in a jerk like Eric anyway?" Lisa asked as she notched another arrow. Balla was kneeing to her left.

Balla shrugged a bit while still smiling as she replied. "I know that Ra... I mean, Eric can come off as a bit abrasive..."

"A bit abrasive?" Lisa stressed as she drew back her bowstring and took aim.

"All right, a lot abrasive." Balla amended. "But you should hear the nice and tender things he said about you."

**_FFFT! THUNK!_**

The arrow struck more than five inches to the right of the target's edge. Lisa frowned as she notched another arrow and took aim.

"Eric really does have a sensitive side and he just doesn't want people to know that he really has some affection for you."

_**FFFT! THUNK!**_

Lisa sweatdropped as she saw that her arrow had missed the target completely and struck the wall a good two feet above it.

Balla then grinned as she said, "Oh I get it. You _LIKE_ him too!"

"_I DO NOT!_" Lisa said as she began frantically waving her arms in denial. "How can you suggest that I like a jerk like him?"

"But... it's so obvious." Balla said, her innocence and naiveté being apparent.

Lisa's anger began to skyrocket, as she couldn't believe that any girl would hold Ranma up in so high a regard, despite the emotions that he invoked in her and all the other girls that had approached him. "Listen here Balla! Eric has broken the hearts of way too many girls at my school! If you're going to defend him, then we're just going to have to settle this another way!"

"Uh oh."

Evening, Ranma's apartment...

"What do mean that you're going to fight a duel?!" Ranma gasped after Balla had told him of what had happened that afternoon. At the moment, he was busy preparing dinner. "Didn't I tell you not to pick any fights with that girl?!"

"I remember." Balla said quietly.

"But you're going to fight her anyway, aren't you?"

"But you must understand. Once the honor of the Tattoon Tribe has been challenged, then it can only be settled with a battle to the absolute death."

"Christ, it's the Joketsuzoku all over again!" Ranma muttered.

"What?"

"Never mind!" Ranma breathed out a sigh of frustration. "What about those weird magic powers of yours? Does she know about them?"

"I showed them to her. And how."

Flashback...

Balla's hand tattoo appeared as she made her energy blade form. As the weapon glowed like golden fire, she then took on a serious expression.

"This is the power of my people. Still want to fight?"

Lisa gasped at the sight, then steeled herself. "I don't care! I'll see you tomorrow morning in front of the schoolyard!"

End of flashback...

"See?" Balla said.

Ranma pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. _Damn! No matter where I go, these damned girl problems just keep coming up!_ He then glared at Balla, who still looked at him with her innocent eyes. He felt his insides become torn at the thought of this girl coming to any harm. What was it about Balla that he found so... _Arrrgh! I should just let Lisa and Balla kill each other and... aw, shoot!_

"Balla... I can't believe I'm saying this, but... as your husband, I forbid you to meet Lisa tomorrow! Got that?"

Balla's eyes widened as she heard Ranma actually refer to himself as 'her husband.' Her heart leapt in joy and she was about to go over to embrace him, but then saw Ranma turn away to continue chopping vegetables. The way he was clenching the knife gave her pause. She could see the anger and frustration building in his eyes and decided to keep her peace for now.

During that night, Lisa had decided to get some lessons from a master of the Fujimatsu School of Short-Range Archery. To that end, she dragged the futon, which had her grandfather still sleeping on it, to the training area of her home. The girl then knelt at the side of her snoring relative and bowed her head to him.

"Grandfather... I need you to teach me... how to shoot at a living target."

The elderly man suddenly stopped in his snoring and then sat up, his eyes opened and his expression stern. "Do you realize what you are asking?" He said in a commanding tone.

"Yes sir." Lisa replied solemnly.

The old man then stood up and looked down at his granddaughter. "In my long, military career, I shot my arrows into the living. It is not something that can be done with a faint heart. When you have done it once, you will never be the same! Are you ready for that change?"

Lisa nodded. "Yes sir."

The old man crossed his arms and gave his granddaughter an approving nod. "Good girl." He then gave Lisa a sly look and asked in a teasing tone. "Is little Lisa having boy troubles?"

The girl's cheeks reddened a bit as she tried not to look into her relative's eyes. "Something like that."

Lisa's grandfather grinned as he turned his back to her, put one hand on his hip while placing the index finger of his other hand on the side of his tilted head. "Well, imagine that! And all this time, I thought you were gay! Heh, heh, heh!"

Lisa then came up in a huff and started pounding on the man's back. "Ooooooh! Just show me how to shoot and kill that little blonde floozy! I wanna learn now!"

Lisa's grandfather continued to guffaw.

Back in Nerima...

"M-M-Master! You're... back early!" Soun and Genma cried out as they saw Happosai in the usual attire that he wears during his panty raids.

The ancient lecher sighed as he laid down his sack of women's unmentionables. "Hello Soun... Genma..."

"Is... something wrong, Master?" Soun asked, though part of him was glad that the old pervert had cut his nightly activities short. The less time he was out stealing underwear, the less chance the authorities would have of finding out who he was and where he was hiding. The reputation of the Tendo Dojo would be ruined if it was known that the infamous Underwear Thief lived there.

"No... yes, something is wrong." Happosai let off another tired sigh. "The novelty of being able to steal freely has worn off. The fun has gone out of it. The challenge is gone. Where's the excitement? It's just too easy! Usually, I'd have Genma's boy dogging me, trying to keep me from all these pretties!" He pointed to the sack. "It was always so much fun to put Ranma through his paces and challenge that boy." (In other words, torment him and make his life a living Hell). "How else was I supposed to train my heir?"

"Don't worry Master! I'm sure that my son will return and..."

"That's what you said _FOUR_ months ago!" Happosai said. "And we haven't seen breast nor behind of her, I mean him!" The old pervert really missed his Ranma-chan and the pleasure of nuzzling in her ample bosom. "I'm going to bed."

"Master? What about these?" Soun asked as he held up the sack of underwear. Happosai shrugged as he replied. "If I can't fight to steal them, then I don't want them. In any case, it looks like I may have to choose one of you idiots to train as an heir." With that, he trudged up the stairs.

Both men winced as they realized that they just _HAD_ to get Ranma back. Without an heir to train to keep the Master happy, then one of them would have to take his place. Considering what they had endured with the lecher during their training journey, they had no wish to become Ranma's replacement. Ranma was the future of the Anything Goes, so he should be the one to suffer, not them!

Hiroshima, present time...

Ranma awoke with a feeling of foreboding. He decided to check up on Balla and gave off a sigh of resignation as he saw that her room was empty.

"_AW CRAP!_"

Ranma then went to get dressed and hurried out the door.

At the front of the schoolyard, Lisa kneeled at the entrance to the school with her bow and quiver laid out beside her. She was wearing an outfit that looked like Kuno's samurai robes and sported a white headband with her hair tied back. She then felt a wind suddenly turn up and looked up to see Balla materialize on a nearby rooftop. The Tattoon girl was dressed in her ceremonial outfit, (the green bikini), and gently hopped down to the ground to face off against her opponent.

"The challenge is met." Lisa said as she got up with her bow and quiver at the ready.

"But only one will walk away." Balla replied.

"I will!" Lisa shot back as drew out her first arrow.

"No mere mortal can defame the honor of the Tattoon Tribe."

"We'll see about that!" Lisa said as she quickly notched the arrow and then launched it at Balla's head.

The High Priestess quickly raised both hands and clapped the arrow between them. However, the arrow still kept on going toward her face.

"_WAAAAAAH!_"

Balla found herself leaning backward to avoid being hit by the point and landed hard on her derriere. She then looked up at Lisa who had a smug look on her face.

"Not so easy to catch this time, are they? I learned a few tricks last night as well. Prepare to die!"

Balla knew that her Tattoon powers gave her a huge edge and had come seeking a peaceful solution. However, she was forced to duck for cover as Lisa let loose with a rapid barrage of arrows. Balla then headed toward the school building as more of the deadly projectiles came flying at her.

Meanwhile. Ranma was busy running across rooftops toward the school.

_Damn it all! I thought I was finally away from things like this, but here I am, running to stop two girls from killing each other, all because of me! I should just let those two tear each other up, but damn it! **DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! GIRLS ARE NOTHING BUT TROUBLE!**_

Back at the school, Balla was still refraining from using her Tattoon powers as she continued to dodge Lisa's arrows. She soon found herself backed into a corner as the bow-wielding girl took out another arrow and prepared to fire.

"Not a very good move Balla. If you knew this school better, you wouldn't have trapped yourself! If you knew me better, then we wouldn't be fighting at all! The way you fawn over a jerk like Eric. How can you even call yourself a woman?" She launched another fast barrage of arrows, which narrowly missed her target and broke a couple of windows behind Balla as she dodged.

"Stop it!" Balla said. "I just realized that this entire thing is pointless! We shouldn't be fighting each other. We both love the same man!"

"_I DON'T LOVE HIM!_" Lisa denied as she notched another arrow. "Now fight me!"

Balla raised a hand and began forming a ball of mystical energy. However, she then let it disperse with a gesture. "This is silly." She muttered as she then jumped out a window. Lisa quickly headed downstairs to head her off.

At that moment, Ranma landed on the front schoolyard and began looking for the two combatants. When he heard a noise of breaking glass, he headed toward the commotion.

On the ground, Balla was mentally berating herself for getting into this fight out of sheer pride _How could I have been so foolish?_

It was then that Lisa rounded the corner.

"Nowhere left to run Balla!"

"Lisa! Stop this! There's no need for..."

"_SILENCE!_" Lisa shouted as she shot off two arrows.

The girl of the Tattoon Tribe gasped as the projectiles barely grazed her cheek. _She drew blood!_

Lisa smirked as she taunted her opponent. "In war, when you begin a battle, then you must finish it. That is what my grandfather taught me. Then, he bestowed upon me a very special gift. This will put an end to your running." Lisa took out an arrow that looked like it was made of several shafts tied together in a bundle.

"Lisa... please listen to me!"

"Balla... _TRY TO CATCH THESE!_"

Lisa launched the arrow at her, which suddenly exploded into a dozen streaks of light. Balla found herself thrown up against the wall behind her as she felt her skin being pinched in many places. As she looked down, she found that she was pinned to the wall by thin filaments that resembled piano wire.

Lisa then drew another arrow as she casually explained the Thousand-Neck Rending technique. "That was just the first part. The cables are there to hold you in place. The beheading arrow will rip you to shreds!"

"Stop this, Lisa! This is going too far!"

"No. It's all over." Lisa responded in a cold tone as she notched the lethal arrow. She then drew back the bowstring and took aim.

Balla winced, as she knew that she was going to have to use her powers. As she prepared to let loose with her Tattoon magic, someone suddenly appeared before her, just as Lisa released her arrow. The projectile then exploded into a swarm of needles as they sped toward them.

_**FFFFFT!**_

"_KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!_"

"_ERIC!_" Balla cried out happily.

"Eric?" Lisa said in surprise.

Ranma stood in front of Balla and glared at Lisa. In his upheld fists, neatly wedged between his fingers, were twenty, sharp, two-inch long needles. On the wall where Balla was pinned, several more of the needless were embedded into the concrete. Ranma had used his Chestnut technique to catch the ones that were certain to hit the Tattoon priestess and let the others hit the wall harmlessly. He relaxed his grip on the needles and let them drop to the ground. His red aura glowed sharply as he faced Balla's would-be executioner.

"_ARE YOU CRAZY? WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?!_"

"Eric... I..." Lisa became flabbergasted as she gazed at the boy who stirred certain emotions within her. She then began reminiscing back...

Flashback...

Lisa was crouched down in front of her bike as Brody and Deiner watched from afar.

"Heh. Looks like Lisa is having bike problems." Deiner remarked.

"Yeah. Do you think we should help her?" Brody asked.

"Nah. She won't accept help from any _BOY_."

Lisa was close to tears at the barbs as she tried to get her bicycle chain back into its proper place. It was at that moment that she was roughly pushed to the side and Ranma was crouching beside her.

"Here, let me have a look at that." Ranma purposely didn't look at her and only focused on repairing the bicycle.

Lisa looked at Ranma in shock. "I... I... I didn't expect you to help me with..."

Ranma casually waved it off, keeping his emotions hidden as he said, "I'm full of surprises. _DON'T_ make a big deal about it, okay?"

End of flashback...

"You... were so nice to me back then... now you just ignore me." Lisa said in a choking voice.

"Aw... Lisa." Ranma shook his head as he saw her eyes beginning to get moist.

Balla also huffed as she said, "This all so silly! It's obvious that you two have these feelings toward each other, yet you keep them bottled up inside. But..." Balla then took on a serious expression as she addressed Lisa. "You forget that he's _MY_ husband!"

Her body then flared with power as the cables that restrained her disintegrated. Her body became alive with energy as her skin became imprinted with dozens of the mystical tattoos that she used to focus her magical abilities. She held up her hands and formed a bow and arrow that was made of pure mystical power. She aimed it directly at Lisa and said, "And if you think you're going to take him away from me, then you've got another thing coming baby. Ready to fight me now?"

"No! Stop it Balla!" Ranma shouted to her, then began rushing to Lisa's side.

The Priestess smiled and gave her beloved a wink. "Don't worry. I will."

Lisa bit back her tears as she armed her bow with another one of her beheading arrows and fired. _I will fight for him. I...lo..._

As soon as she launched her arrow, Balla fired off her own. The beheading arrow exploded into needles, but they disintegrated into nothingness when they collided with the Tattoon arrow. As the projectile streaked toward her, she let off a scream and prepared to die. Ranma, by some unknown miracle, managed to beat the blast and stood before Lisa. He hoped that his ki would be able to stop or at least blunt the effect of Balla's arrow. He began summoning up all of his rage for one massive counterblast in the instant before the arrow found its mark.

However, both the martial artist and the archer were shocked when Balla's energy suddenly split into two and then reformed behind them, digging a wide trench behind them before fading away into nothingness. At the same time, Ranma felt a weird sucking sensation as his anger-enhanced aura suddenly winked out. He then looked up and saw Balla smiling at him and began patiently walking up to him and Lisa.

It was at that time that Lisa took a step back and found herself falling into the trench. She flailed about and grabbed the back of Ranma's shirt, causing him to be pulled down into the hole as well. The two of them landed hard on their butts as Balla giggled at their fall.

"_OW!_ What the _HELL_ was that?" Ranma asked as he looked up at the Tattoon girl. He noticed that the tattoos that had appeared on her body were not visible again.

Balla crouched down at the edge of the hole and replied. "I just turned all the feelings of hate and anger between the three of us into pure energy and threw them away."

"Uh, if you say so." Ranma then thought about his battle aura. _Was that what happened to my battle aura? Did she drain that too?_

Balla gave the two an endearing look. "When people love each other, there's no room for hatred or anger."

Ranma winced and then glared at her with an angry expression. "Haven't you been listening? I've _TOLD_ you a _HUNDRED TIMES_ that _I DON'T LOVE YOU!_"

Balla snorted a bit while still smiling. "Hah. Your words don't agree with your actions."

At this point, Lisa took on a thoughtful look as she considered Balla's words. "Eric... maybe Balla's on to something... You think?"

"WHAT?!"

It was at that moment that Balla jumped down into the trench and got between the two with fire in her eyes. "_HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?_"

Lisa's anger also rose as she glared back at the Tattoon priestess. "_HE DOESN'T BELONG TO YOU!_"

"_ACCORDING TO TRIBAL LAW, WE'RE MARRIED!_"

"_HE'S NOT ONE OF YOUR TRIBE!_"

"_WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE?_"

"_WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT UP?_"

Ranma shook his head in disgust and remembered why he hated the opposite sex. "_LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!_"

Balla then promptly glomped onto Ranma as he turned his back to leave. "Eric, sweety!"

Lisa grabbed her leg and tried to pull her off.

The citizens of the city of Hiroshima all stopped in their daily lives as they heard a shout of anguish from one boy who just couldn't get a break.

"_LET GO OF MEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!_"

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the city, another voice of anguish and despair rang out.

"_WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOOOOOOOW?!_"

Nerima, five months after Ranma had left...

Nabiki was definitely not happy. The last of her Ranko photos had sold for a ridiculously high sum by Kuno, which would just barely cover the losses she had suffered. When Ranma was there, she had always come through each month with a very tidy profit, but this time, she had broken even... minus a couple thousand yen. No, this would not do at all. Her other ventures only made a fraction of what she usually got out of that sex-changing jock. Now that he was gone, she was just managing to eke out enough to pay for household bills and groceries.

There were only a couple of good things that came about from Ranma's disappearance. With him gone, there were no rivals attacking the Tendo home in their bid to kill him. Also, there was no one for Akane to vent her anger on. That meant huge savings on repair bills. Furthermore, with only one Saotome left, (namely Genma), that also saved a bit on the food bills, though Ranma's father still ate like a herd of elephants. Neither Genma nor Nabiki's father were any help. Day in and day out, they would moan and groan at how the schools would never be joined and play Shogi.

Nabiki wasn't about to quit. She _OWNED_ Ranma and she wasn't about to let him get away that easily. She had used what little profit she had made in a desperate gamble. She had bought some low-grade surveillance equipment and had the Computer Club secretly bugged. She knew in her gut that they had at least an inkling of where Ranma was. Sooner or later, they would slip up and Nabiki would know exactly where her moneymaker was. All she could do now was wait.

To be continued...

Author's notes  
This rewrite wasn't much as I added just a few extra scenes. I promise that in chapter 4, there's going to be some MAJOR additions and it will make the old version seem tame. Until then!


	4. Chapter 4: Explosion of Rage

Tattoon Ranma

Disclaimer: Ranma and Tattoon Master belong to their respective creators so go bother them!

: Thoughts

**Chapter 4**

Explosion of Rage

Ranma opened his eyes as he awoke from his futon. He got another feeling of deja vu as he found himself looking into a very attractive pair of eyes as he saw Balla lying beside him.

"Hello." Balla lovingly sighed.

Outside the apartment building, the citizens of Hiroshima were given a loud wake-up call as a former resident of Nerima, recently turned woman-hater, screamed at finding a scantily-clad and curvaceous girl sleeping beside him.

"_AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!_"

Ranma scrambled to his feet and backed away from Balla as she sat up and smiled up at him.

"W-W-What the....? H-H-How the hell?! What are doing sleeping beside me?!"

Balla gave him a mischievous smile as she stood up in nothing more than the Tattoon Tribe's version of undergarments, which looked like a grunge bikini. The fact that her ample bosom was just barely held back by her top and that her long and slender legs, curved hips and shapely rear were accentuated by her skimpy bottoms didn't do anything to calm Ranma's already frazzled nerves.

"Last night after dinner, you said you were in the mood for some hot jungle loving, and then you made all my dreams come true!" Balla said with glee.

"_WAIT A MINUTE! I DON'T REMEMBER ANY OF THIS!_"

Ranma desperately tried to get away from her, but Balla simply followed him with that same smile and then, when she had him backed against a wall and in a state of total panic, she then turned towards an open window and said, "Hey guys! That was a pretty funny reaction, don't you think?"

Brody and Deiner gave her a thumbs up as Brody held up a camcorder. Both of them were grinning at what had just been filmed.

Realizing that this had been a joke by his classmates, Ranma's battle aura suddenly flared.

"_BRODY! DEINER! YOU PERVERTS!_"

The residents of the suburb that Ranma lived in, got a second wakeup call as a huge explosion of ki suddenly shot up and sent two jokers into low Earth orbit.

Later on...

Ranma grumbled as he purposely ignored Balla in class. Though he didn't really blame her for the morning's incident, since she had believed Deiner and Brody when they said that their little prank was harmless and would get him to lighten up. She was still very naive about the modern world and was very open with her feelings. Just like a certain Chinese Amazon he once knew. However, unlike Shampoo, Balla had apologized for her part and was trying to make up for it. The purple-haired would simply shrug it off and try another scheme.

The teacher continued to go on and on about some boring lecture about some period in history that was unimportant at the time, as Balla was tugging at his sleeve. It seemed that no matter how things were, Balla seemed to be as cheerful as ever.

"Eric, should I be writing any of this down?"

Ranma continued to ignore her as he sighed and hoped that the lunch bell would ring soon.

"Please pay attention in class.." Lisa said with irritation. Though the duel that she had fought with Balla had been resolved, she still considered Balla to be a nuisance and a traitor for loving that woman-hater. Even though she herself denied the feeling she had for Ranma as well. "The last thing this world needs is yet another _DUMB_ blonde!"

Balla however, decided to tune her out by putting in her index fingers in her ears and humming a little ditty. When Lisa turned around and saw this, Balla took out her fingers and just gave her a shrug and happy-go-lucky smile. She then turned back to Eric and continued to tug at his sleeve.

"Come on Eric! Let's go eat!"

Unfortunately, this got Lisa's temper boiling as she turned around with her back hunched over and her glasses flashed.

_Why does she insist on incurring my wrath?_ This sent her over the boiling point and she suddenly shot up from her desk and was aiming her bow at Balla with the arrow point just millimeters from her nose.

This of course got everyone's attention in the classroom as yet another explosive situation between the class president and someone close to Eric was about to go critical. The other students began whispering among themselves. In a way, the incident was welcomed relief from the tedious boredom of the history class.

"There she goes again!"

"What is she, demented?"

"Wonder what Eric did to tick her off _THIS_ time?"

"Has she finally snapped?"

"Ooh, this ought to be good!"

The history teacher, seeing that bloodshed might be imminent, quickly turned around with a sweat drop on the back of his head and began to hurriedly scribble on the board and talking fast.

"_SO_likeIwassaying,nothingterriblyimportanthappenedduringthisperiodsotherefore..."

Ranma growled as he looked up at Lisa. He had thought things had calmed down after that duel, but it looked like things had gone back to what they were. He stood up to stop Lisa while giving everyone a glare to mind their own business. The other students got the message and averted their gaze. After seeing what he did to the football team, the rest of the class knew better than to get either Ranma or Lisa riled up.

Ranma gave Lisa a snort before grabbing Balla's arm and leading her out of the class. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Soeverybodydiedandtheyalllivedhappilyeverafter...hee, hee..." The teacher laughed nervously as he gave a sigh of relief that war had been averted, yet again.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of town, a certain lost boy was silently cursing a former rival for all of his past, present and any future misfortunes of his life. It had been several months since Ranma had left Nerima but things had not been going smoothly for Ryoga since his departure. Naturally of course, he put the blame solely on Ranma.

_How dare you leave Akane like that? **I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR INSULTING HER AND LEAVING HER LIKE THAT!**_ Ryoga thought as he continually searched for his foe. During his wanderings, Ryoga had also been wondering just what new move Ranma had used to defeat himself, Kuno and Mousse at the same time and leveled an entire city block. His search for Ranma had made him inadvertently take a trip to China, and there he had come across an old scroll that was given to him by a demolitions engineer. It had taken him several weeks to begin mastering the technique and he was more than eager to use it on Ranma when he found him. In his mind, he could still see Akane's tears as she sat in her bedroom. At the time, he was in her arms as P-Chan.

Flashback...

"Ranma, you baka!" Akane spat out as she tried to hold back her tears, but wasn't very successful. "He's such a big jerk! I should be glad that he's gone! Right P-Chan?"

"Bweee!" P-Chan agreed. _Oh Akane! He doesn't deserve someone like you. Now that Ranma's gone, I'll take care of you! Please don't cry over him! I can't stand to see you like that!_

"Dummy! Jerk! Pervert! Baka! Baka! Baka!" Akane said over and over again. "After everything I did for him! All those times I gave him hot water. He didn't even appreciate how hard I worked to cook him that sukiyaki and he wouldn't even try it! He went off, probably to go eat Ukyo or Shampoo's food and flirt with them! Fine then! Let him go! I never agreed to this engagement anyway and... (sob) he can just off and die... (choke).... for all I care! It's all his fault that I have to fight those damned boys again! Kuno is even worse than ever, now that Ranma is gone. The only thing that's keeping him from totally smothering me is him pining away for Ranma's girl side. I've got Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi after me because they blame me for Ranma leaving, when it was really all his fault! Dad and Mr. Saotome are no help! They keep on going on and on about that stupid pledge! Why can't they all leave me alone?"

Ryoga felt his heart near the breaking point again as Akane gave into her urges and began crying again. She had been doing this for some time now, often crying herself to sleep, only to wake up with red and puffy cheeks. After several weeks, Ryoga couldn't stand it any more. After waiting for Akane to fall asleep, he began to plan on how to punish Ranma for causing Akane so much pain.

End of flashback...

As always, Ryoga's lack of a sense of direction got him lost within a dozen feet. He had ended up in China by the time he finally cooled down to think. Ranma had left without a trace and even if the directionally-challenged Hibiki boy could find him, how was he going to beat him? He became very depressed when he remembered back to when Ranma suddenly let loose with some kind of super battle aura technique that caught him, Mousse and Kuno totally off guard and sent them all into the hospital. Somehow, Ranma had learned a new move and Ryoga needed a way to counter it.

It had been his good fortune that he had met that civil engineer in China, who had given him a scroll about a technique called Shi Shi Hokodan. The man had told him that the technique was powerful enough to level buildings and Ryoga was more than eager to learn it. It had been sheer luck that he stumbled upon the secret to the technique, when he had inadvertently caused an avalanche, while departing from the mountainous region. He had used his Breaking Point to blast a boulder out of his way, but that had been a bad mistake as the resulting explosion caused other large boulders and more debris to come crashing down on top of him. He had tried the Bakusai Tenketsu to blast his way out, but that only caused more rubble to come down. Fortunately, his training in the Breaking Point had made him tough enough to withstand the impacts, but that still left him trapped. He then began to get depressed, even more so than usual. His desire to find Ranma and make him pay for hurting Akane, coupled with his current predicament, finally pushed his depressed feelings to the point that his own aura exploded, fueled by his emotions of despair.

After unintentionally releasing a normal Shi Shi Hokodan and freeing himself, Ryoga had been studying the scroll as it had hinted at a perfect form of the technique. He knew he was close. He could taste it. And when he found Ranma, his rival would know true agony and darkness.

And so we flash back to Nerima, now six months after Ranma had left...

Nabiki was listening very carefully to the headphones of the device she had gotten from a flea market, as she hid behind a tree. The machine was an ancient piece of junk that dated back to World War II. It was large, clumsy and very difficult to operate, but it wasn't as if Nabiki had any choice. The bugs that she had hidden in the clubhouse of those techno-geeks had been found and stripped within the first week after she had them installed. This was her last chance to get any information on Ranma's whereabouts. She hoped that the tree and the surrounding hedges were enough to camouflage her activities as she eavesdropped on Takuya Shibana, who happened to be eating lunch with two of his fellow computer programmers. It didn't help that the listening device would periodically cut in and out with static.

"Hey Shibana. It's been a good semester without having to pay off the Ice Queen every week." Daimon commented. "We've got enough in our treasury to upgrade four of our computers."

The leader of the club nodded as he took a bite of his sandwich. "Yeah, and can you believe how low Nabiki has sunk since Ra.... I mean, you-know-who left?"

Another member by the name of Shingo Yamaki chuckled. "Those bugs she planted in our clubhouse were ancient! I built those things when I was still in diapers! She must be really getting desperate, now that she doesn't have Ra... I mean, you-know-who."

"Yeah. I heard that she sold Kuno the last photo of you-know-who's girl side for five hundred and fifty thousand yen!" Daimon commented. "Man! She was hungrier for the cash more than Kuno was for that picture!"

The three laughed out loud in agreement.

As she listened in her hiding place, Nabiki growled.

Takuya nodded as he stood up and solemnly held out his can of grape soda. "Gentleman, I would like to propose a toast. To the one who had saved us from the hospital and freed us all from the clutches of the Ice Queen!"

"Here! Here!" The other two students agreed as they got up and raised their own soda cans.

"To our savior... Eric Kobayashi!"

The three knocked their sodas together before they drank them down. A minute later, they all let off loud burps and laughed as they sat back down.

"So what gave you the idea to give him that name?" Daimon asked.

Takuya shrugged. "I didn't give him that name. He told me to enter that into his new files. He figured that using a western first name and a common Japanese last name would throw anyone off the trail. Pretty sharp thinking on his part."

"So, do you know where he went?" Shingo inquired.

"Nope. And I have no intention of finding out. And neither do you guys. We all owe him that much, right?"

"Right!" Both boys said simultaneously.

It was then that Daimon asked a hypothetical question. "Just out of curiosity... if you were in Eric's shoes... where would you go?"

Shibana thought for a good while before replying. "Well... taking all things in consideration, I'd go to some place that was far from Nerima, had lots of job opportunities, and didn't really care where you came from. Tokyo's too densely populated, so... I'd go to Hiroshima."

"Why there?" Shingo asked.

"Well, it's far enough away from here, so no one would have even heard of the crazy stuff that happens in Nerima. Considering how much money he had left on him, he could probably make it there and get a job. I hear that the economy there is favorable for growth and industry, so he shouldn't have much trouble finding work and a place to stay. The local schools up there aren't as picky with identification papers as they are in Tokyo, so he should be able to enroll there."

"Yeah, that makes sense." Daimon agreed.

"Still, I'm going to miss him." Shingo said with a bit of sadness.

"We're all going to miss him, but he told me himself that he wasn't going to find what he's looking for here."

"And what's that, Takuya?"

"Peace."

At that moment, the listening device shorted out. However, Nabiki had heard enough. She now had a name, and a place to look.

Back in Hiroshima, present time, at Ranma's high school on the roof, Balla was trying to share her lunch with him, but was making no headway as the martial artist turned his head away and tried to ignore her. However, his stomach began to protest and with a little more pleading and the sad puppy dog looks that the Tattoon girl gave him, Ranma finally decided that one bite wouldn't hurt. Just as he was leaning forward, he caught a glint of light flashing off some glass and looked toward the door to the stairs to the roof.

There was Lisa with tears in her eyes and Ranma found himself in a bad spot. He desperately tried to salvage the situation by frantically waving his arms and called out to Lisa. "We're just having lunch!"

However, the door closed as Lisa began to cry as she clutched not one, but two bentos to her chest.

Balla looked up at Ranma as he winced and tried to act tough, but she knew that he was just pretending.

"Oh Eric."

Ranma took another puff of his cigarette and gritted his teeth. _Geez! How did I end up with all this crap?_

Later that afternoon...

The students of Ranma's high school were just exiting the building and heading for home as the martial artist and the Tattoon priestess followed Brody and Deiner out the front door.

"Man, I don't ever remember history class being so fun." Deiner said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I should ask Eric to bring his girlfriend to my trigonometry class." Brody said with a light laugh.

It was that that moment that Ranma wound an arm around Brody's neck and pulled him close. He had a very evil grin on his face which promised immense pain. "Say Brody, how would you like to come to my butt-kicking class?"

Brody was sweating nervously while Deiner was totally clueless as he said, "Oh, I didn't know they taught that."

It was at that moment that Lisa came barreling angrily around the corner with a large broom in her hands. "_ERIC!_ Just where do you think you're going?!" She stopped in front of them and thrust the broom out in front of Ranma's face. "We got stuck with clean up!"

"And who's fault is that?" Ranma growled as he pushed the broom away. He had experienced enough of people getting mad at him for things that weren't his fault in Tokyo. He'd be damned if he was going to let Lisa pin this one on him! "No thanks!"

"Hmpf!" Lisa then leaned forward with a determined look on her face which brooked no argument.

Ranma then sighed as he saw that he wasn't going to win this one. "Oh... whatever." He then turned to the Tattoon girl. "Balla, wait for me at the store."

" 'Kay!" The blonde-haired girl said with her usual perky style.

At that moment, just a few blocks away...

Ryoga grunted as he pulled the can of soda from the vending machine and chugged down the contents in one gulp. He was close in finding Ranma. He could just feel it. After all the time he spent wandering lost and perfecting his new technique, he was more than willing to make Ranma pay for all the misery and suffering that he had caused to him and Akane.

Since the time he had first met with him, Ryoga had begun on a path of vengeance that had gradually gone from simple obsession to psychotic. The minor insult of the bread had been the trigger. It had become a matter of personal honor for Ryoga to defeat that smart-aleck pigtailed boy. However, with Ranma's act of cowardice with not showing up for their infamous duel, that slight to personal honor became a fixation. The Curse of the Drowned Piglet had upgraded that fixation to homicidal lunacy. Ranma's faithlessness to Akane and leading on those other girls made it into a kind of self-righteous insanity to see that Casanova punished, (never mind the fact that Ryoga himself was in love with an _ENGAGED_ girl). Now Ryoga had passed that level and had gone into sheer psychosis.

There was another reason why Ryoga was Hell-bent on making Ranma pay. With Ranma gone, Ryoga's chances for happiness were eventually snuffed out. For without the pigtailed boy to cover for him, Ryoga's secret as P-Chan had been inevitably blown. Akane had initially welcomed the company of her beloved pet when he showed up after Ranma had denounced all of his engagements and left. That is, Akane had welcomed P-Chan until he later got splashed by some hot tea by Soun Tendo, who continued to bawl about the schools never being joined.

The short-tempered girl needed something to vent her fury on, and since Ranma was gone, Ryoga was there to fill in as a target for that fury. Akane had felt much better afterwards, but the Lost Boy's life had been totally destroyed. He could still remember that day...

Flashback...

"_RYOGA?! YOU'RE P-CHAN?!_"

"_A-A-A-AKANE, WAIT! I CAN EXPLAIN EVERYTHING!_" A naked Ryoga said as he covered his privates.

At that point, Akane's temper hit a new high as she made her mallet appear.

"_YOU PERVERT! YOU BAKA! YOU.... YOU.... PIG! DIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!_"

_**WHABOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

With one mighty swing, Ryoga set a new altitude record for a projectile to be launched by a mallet.

End of flashback...

This was all Ranma's fault. It had always been his fault! Even if he had absolutely nothing to do with the situation, it was always his fault because.... well, just because! And now Ryoga had the power to punish that bastard for abandoning Akane and for making his life a constant, living Hell! He was going to make certain that Ranma would truly know Hell on Earth before he sent him to the real thing!

Little did he know that he had just made a choice that was akin to a death wish, considering how much Ranma had changed since coming to Hiroshima. The former heir to the Anything Goes was no longer the same naïve martial artist from before. He was not going to hold back.

At a corner store, Balla was licking an ice cream cone as Deiner and Brody were sitting on the curb. Deiner was having a bit of a problem as he had a can of soda stuck to his tongue.

"My tongueth ith stuckth." Deiner said as he winced.

"Geez! Why did you stick it in there, man?" Brody said while grinning like an idiot.

"I'll get it off for you." Balla said helpfully.

"No, itth okay. Ow."

Meanwhile, Ranma and Lisa were busy scrubbing the desks and cleaning the floors. Every now and then, the girl would briefly cast her gaze at him, as her eyes would wander over his well-muscled form and noted the grace in which he moved with. She would then become disgusted with herself for even thinking about that woman-hater and all-around jerk, and she would throw herself into the work with new vigor.

_I'm not interested in that arrogant baka! Why should I be?_

However, a small part of her knew differently. There was just something about him that pulled in the opposite sex like steel ball bearings to a magnet. Maybe it was because that like Balla, Lisa could see a much more sensitive side to Eric underneath that gruff exterior.

As Balla finished off her ice cream cone, she then pointed to her forehead. "Guess what? I can see what Eric sees through the mark he has here."

"Really?" Brody said.

"That is so cool!" Deiner remarked.

It was then that Balla took on a more coy look and she blushed a bit as she addressed Eric's friends. "Tell me... would either of you help me fulfill... one of my... fantasies...?"

Of course, these two hormonally-driven boys took this the only way they knew. "They both shot up and said simultaneously, "Oh yeah!"

"Really?"

"You bet!"

"Then... would you...?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind telling me what Eric was like before he met me?"

Both guys facefaulted after being let down and had huge sweatdrops as Balla giggled and waved her arms around like a certain meatball-head that we know of.

"Oh, I'm just soooo embarrassed!"

"Let me level with you, Balla. We don't know much more about Eric than you do." Deiner admitted.

"Yeah, but I have to admit that he's more laid-back now than he was then." Brody added.

"Really?" Balla asked.

"Yeah." When we first met him, we thought he was going to kill us! He made one hell of an impression on us." Deiner remarked.

Flashback...

We see a scene in which Ranma is in the school uniform and facing Deiner and Brody alone in the classroom.

"What are you looking at?! Just who do you think you are?!" Deiner said as he grabbed the front of Ranma's shirt.

Ranma simply glared at him and said, "Remember those football players you were chucking beer cans at? Well, they're looking for you, upstairs."

"So what do you care?" Deiner said as he cocked back a fist.

"Kick his ass!" Brody cheered on, but both were sent sprawling to the floor as the martial artist tossed Deiner like a rag doll and slammed him into his associate.

They both looked up at the snarling Eric as he glared down at the two dopes.

"Listen here... and listen good! Don't you _EVER_ touch me again! Got that?"

He then turned away without another word, leaving the two in a state of shock and confusion.

End of flashback...

"There was no way either of us could be tough after that." Deiner finished.

"Yeah, he was a total badass!" Brody added. "But then, what happened later was..."

A little while later, Balla smiled as she listened in on Brody and Deiner's description of her Eric. She then nodded and said, "Wow! I didn't know that! So he made you two what you are today!"

"A couple of losers?" Brody asked.

"Uh uh! My two new best friends!" The Tattoon Priestess said gleefully. "I just knew that he was like that deep down inside! Is there any more about him that you can tell me?" When the two boys shook their heads, her face went into a small pout. "I wish there was someone that could tell me more about Ranma."

In another district of Hiroshima...

As a matter of fact, there was someone who could tell Balla more about Eric. A certain woman with brown hair, wearing the traditional kimono of a Japanese housewife and had a long bundle strapped to her back, was currently in Hiroshima. This person was visiting relatives on her side of the family, which incidentally went by the name of Kobayashi. However, after she had married, she had taken the family name of Saotome. Her name was... Nodaka.

"Ranma? Who's Ranma?" Deiner asked.

Balla snapped her fingers. "Oh, I forgot that he doesn't go by that name any more and..."

It was then that a huge explosion of light blew up behind then and they all turned to see the mega-depressed figure of Ranma's rival.

"_RANMA! WHERE IS HE?!_"

Balla and the others backed off at the intensity of Ryoga's aura as he glared at the blonde gaijin girl who had spoken the name of the person with whom he hated the most. "_YOU! WHERE IS HE?! WHERE IS RANMA?!_"

Balla of course, had no idea who this person was and good-naturedly asked, "Uh excuse me, but I don't believe we've met and..."

"_TELL ME WHERE HE IS!_" Ryoga roared.

"Hey man!" Brody said as he and Deiner stepped out in front of Balla. "Don't you go shouting at her! She didn't do nuthin'!"

"Yeah, where do you get off?" Deiner asked. "We don't know of any guy named Ranma."

"Yeah, so why you don't you get lost before we have to kick in your butt!" Brody added as he cocked back his fist.

Ryoga however, just snorted as his battle aura flared. This insect dared to get in the way of his long-overdue vengeance, and therefore was beneath him. Ryoga was on a righteous mission of justice and no one would stop him. Before Brody could react, the Lost Boy slammed a fist into his gut and sent him sprawling. At the same time, his depression and rage-fueled aura went off.

Balla gasped as she saw Brody knocked back like a broken toy.

In the classroom, Ranma suddenly felt an throbbing sensation as he suddenly fell to his knees and held his head as the mark on his forehead began to glow.

"Eric! Stop messing around!" Lisa said as she saw him fall to the floor, then saw the glow on his forehead. "Eric? What's wrong?"

Ranma winced as the sensation grew more intense. "It's... Balla... I don't know how, but I can feel her... calling me!"

Without another word, Ranma bolted straight up and ran out of the classroom.

"Brody!" Deiner called out as his friend tumbled to the pavement and moaned in pain. It was obvious that he had sustained some broken bones.

Balla stepped forward and took a ready stance in-between them and the fuming Ryoga. "You! Why have you done this?" She spread her arms out and tensed up.

"I'll ask you one more time! Where IS _RANMA?!_"

"Why do you want him? What has he ever done to you?"

"_DONE?!_" Ryoga roared as his battle aura became even bigger and more violent. "_BECAUSE OF THAT BASTARD, MY LIFE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A LIVING HELL BECAUSE OF HIM! NOW WHERE IS RANMA?!_"

Balla saw that things were getting out of hand and she felt that she had no choice. This stranger's power was similar to what her Eric often emitted but it was much darker. She began focusing her own power and the tattoos on her hands began to appear.

"Hold it Balla! This is _MY_ fight!"

"Eric!" Balla cried out as she saw her beloved standing on a rooftop above. He nimbly leapt down and landed beside her.

"_RANMA!_" Ryoga snarled as he glared at him. Though his hair style was different and he now sported an x-shaped scar on his forehead, the Lost Boy still recognized the source of all his life's past, present and future problems. "I see that you're still as cowardly as ever! Out seeing another girl, eh? You're nothing but a faithless bastard and a coward! Just like I always knew you were!"

"Don't you say things about my Eric!" Balla defended, but that was when Ranma held out an arm in front of her and his eyes met with hers.

"Leave him to me."

"But Eric..."

"I can handle him. I've handled him before. Besides, Brody's hurt pretty bad. He may be a pinhead, but he didn't deserve that. Do you think you could use those powers of yours to heal him?"

"Yes, but..."

"Don't worry about me." Ranma then held up both of his hands and cracked his knuckles. "I needed to work off some steam and pounding this moron flat is just what the doctor ordered."

Balla saw a fire in Ranma's eyes which told her that he wasn't in the mood to argue. She gave him a slight nod and went to Brody's side to tend to his injuries.

Ranma nodded as he faced off against his fuming rival. "I'm disappointed in you, Ryoga. Picking on guys that don't stand a chance against you? I thought you had _SOME_ honor."

"Don't you preach to me about honor!" Ryoga spat back. "Because of you, I have seen _HELL!_"

Eric growled. "Oh please! Not that old 'because of you, I've seen Hell' bit! That was one of the main reasons _WHY_ I left Tokyo! I told you before, that it wasn't MY fault that you couldn't find that stupid lot! It wasn't _MY_ fault that it took you four days to _GET_ that place! You had no business whatsoever to have followed me to China! So as far as I'm concerned P-Chan, you don't have anyone to blame but yourself for your problems!"

"_DON'T CALL ME P-CHAN!_" Ryoga screamed. "_ENOUGH! IT'S TIME WE SETTLED THIS, ONCE AND FOR ALL!_" Ryoga's battle aura became even more intense as his rage and depression seethed like a volcano.

"Whatever." Ranma shrugged as he went into a ready stance, his own red aura blazing. "If you want to fight, then come on! I been wanting to pound on something, and I think you'd make the perfect punching bag!"

"_NOW YOU WILL PAY FOR ALL MY SUFFERING!_" Ryoga yelled as he charged at him with fists blazing.

However, unlike the Ranma of old, Eric was not pulling any punches. He easily ducked under Ryoga's wild attack, then sent a hard straight into his opponent's gut, followed by a hard chop to his Adam's apple.

_**THOP!**_

The Backusai Tenketsu training may make Ryoga more resistant to impacts, but a hit in that spot would fell any opponent, no matter how strong he was.

The Lost Boy gasped out and choked a bit as he fell to his knees. Ranma had never tried a tactic as brutal as that one in all of their previous battles. Before he could recover, Ranma sent a hard kick to Ryoga's side, sending him flying toward an opposite wall. Ranma's rival crashed into the concrete, crumbling it. However, Ryoga came back to his feet, still seething as he shouted at his foe.

"_RANMA, PREPARE TO DIE!!!_"

"_OH SHUT UP!!_" Ranma raged as he dodged another of Ryoga's rage-driven attacks, then countered with a brutal six-punch combo to his foe.

_**WOP! WHAM! WHAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!**_

"_DO YOU KNOW JUST HOW PISSED OFF I WAS EVERY TIME I HEARD THAT?_" He then delivered a savage spin kick to his adversary's other side as his red aura continued on burning like a bonfire. "_IT WAS ALWAYS RANMA DIE THIS AND RANMA DIE THAT!_"

"_YOU WILL... ERK!"_ Ryoga's rant was cut off as Ranma slammed another hard blow to his gut, then brought his right knee up to smash into the Lost Boy's chin, snapping his head back with such force, his teeth would have snipped off his tongue if it had been sticking out.

"_DAY IN AND DAY OUT, THE SAME CRAP! OVER AND OVER AGAIN!_" Eric went on raving as he continued to pummel his foe mercilessly with increasing force.

_**WHOMP! THUMP! POW!**_

His aura became so intense that it was like being near a blast furnace. The Lost Boy soon realized that Ranma had gotten a _LOT_ stronger since they last battled and his blows were having substantial effect. He had suspected in the past that Ranma had been holding back somewhat, but he never truly realized how much. He kept on fighting back, landing many blows, but Ranma didn't seem to even notice them as he returned each blow with hefty interest.

"_IT NEVER ENDED! KUNO, HAPPOSAI, MOUSSE, SHAMPOO, UKYO, AND ESPECIALLY THAT UNCUTE, TOMBOY BITCH AKANE!_"

"_HOW DARE YOU INSULT..._"

_**WHAM!**_

Ryoga was sent flying again as he received a double-fisted blow to the chin. He slammed into another wall and crumbled that one as well, but he stubbornly got to his feet once more.

Eric snorted as his rage continued to climb. "_STILL WANT MORE? FINE WITH ME!_" He then leapt up and shot toward him in a flying side-kick.

Ryoga dodged the kick and countered with a kick of his own. He felt a bit of satisfaction when his foot connected with Ranma's back, but then winced as his opponent simply shrugged it off, grabbed his still-extended leg and swung him around. Ryoga's face impacted hard into a steel lamp post, then he was slammed again and again into the same post.

_**WHANG! WHANG! WHANG! CLANG! CLANG!**_

The metal buckled and shuddered under each impact and it soon had a very detailed imprint of Ryoga's face before it finally snapped in two. The Lost Boy shook his head and turned to face Ranma, though he now had a loud ringing in his ears.

"_JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I HAD GOTTEN AWAY FROM ALL THAT, YOU HAPPEN TO COME ALONG WITH THAT STUPID 'RANMA, PREPARE TO DIE AND I'VE SEEN HELL' SHIT! DO YOU KNOW JUST HOW MUCH THAT FUCKING PISSED ME OFF?!_"

Ryoga snarled as he wanted to hear no more of Ranma's ravings and charged at him. However, Ranma swatted aside his punches as if they were bothersome flies. He then delivered several more hits to his foe's face and upper torso. With adrenaline pumping and rage-enhanced battle aura blazing, Ranma's strength, speed and endurance had increased by ten-fold! All the torment, pain and suffering that he had endured in Nerima came bubbling to the surface and gave him a berserker strength that was unheard of. Ryoga's iron ribs began to buckle under the repeated blows.

"_DID ANYONE WANT TO LISTEN TO ME AND HEAR WHAT I HAD TO SAY? NO!_"

"_I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR..._"

Ryoga was cut off once again as his punch was intercepted. He winced as Ranma began applying pressure to his captured wrist. Cartilage and ligaments threatened to snap under his iron grip as the enraged former heir to the Anything Goes continued to squeeze. Ryoga desperately tried to make him let go by throwing a hard right cross to Ranma's cheek.

**_WHAM!_**

**_CRACK!_**

"_AAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!_"

When Ryoga's fist hit, it felt to him as if he had punched a reinforced steel plate of battleship armor. He pulled back his hand and winced as he knew that he had a couple of fractured knuckles. Ranma snarled as he mangled his foe's wrist, making bone crack and pop. Ryoga screamed out as he was then pulled by that arm and slammed repeatedly to the pavement.

**_WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!_**

The Lost Boy's body had made an impressive pothole in the pavement before Ranma kicked him back up, and then slammed three more hard punches to his chest, this time fracturing some ribs.

_**CRACK! CRACK! SNAP!**_

Even an insanely strong and tough martial artist had his limits and Ryoga was rapidly approaching his breaking point.

"_I DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS OF WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY! BUT YOU'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO EVERY WORD THAT I HAVE TO SAY!_" Ranma roared as he slammed another kick to Ryoga's already injured side. "_NOBODY EVER CARED AS TO WHAT I HAD TO SAY OR HOW I FELT! WELL, NOW I'M TELLING YOU! I DON'T FUCKING CARE ABOUT WHAT MY FATHER SAYS! I DON'T FUCKING CARE ABOUT WHAT AKANE SAYS! AND I SURE AS HELL DON'T FUCKING CARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY! I DON'T CARE, DO YOU HEAR ME?! I... DON'T... FUCKING CARE!!!!_"

That was when Ranma's aura exploded and swept up a huge gust of wind. Over the time since he had left Nerima, he had been steadily improving on his techniques, including the Hiryu Shoten Ha. He didn't need to keep calm nor fight in a spiral while his foe was using a red-hot battle aura. Now his own rage-fueled aura created a kind of thermal tornado, which swept up the Lost Boy and sent him flying.

"_I'M NOT FINISHED!_" Eric screamed as he rocketed upward in a leap that sent him up to more than a hundred feet (Don't you just love that adrenaline and battle aura?). He caught up with Ryoga, laced his hands together, and brought the double-fist down into his back, nearly shattering his spine. Ryoga was sent plummeting down like a meteor and hit the pavement a block away.

Eric simply snarled as he landed on a nearby rooftop and began heading to where his adversary had landed. He was still running at full steam with no signs of ever stopping.

"Eric!" Balla called out as she saw the two taking their fight away from where she was healing Brody's injuries. She never seen his rage take on this kind of intensity before and she began to fear for her darling's mental health. If he wasn't stopped, then Balla feared that he would do something that would haunt him for the rest of his days.

After finishing with her ministrations, she stood up and silently focused her Tattoon Power. She then disappeared from sight, just as Brody regained consciousness.

"Whoa. What hit me?"

Deiner could only shake his head in disbelief as he helped his friend up.

Ryoga groaned as he painfully extracted himself from the crater he had made in the concrete. Only his Backusai Tenketsu training and the endurance he had gained from his long wanderings had allowed him to survive the impact, but just barely. He wondered just how Ranma had gotten _THAT_ strong. He had planned to wear down Ranma a bit before letting him have it with the Shi Shi Hokodan, but he had never expected Ranma's battle aura to be that intense. So far, he had taken the worst of the exchange, while Ranma was shrugging off any blows that the directionally-challenged Ryoga had managed to land. Just as he got to his feet, Ranma arrived with battle aura blazing.

"You don't get off that easy, P-Chan!" Eric growled dangerously. "You're not going to get lost in the middle of this fight! Like you said, we're going to _FINISH_ this, once and for all!"

The expression that he wore on his face was all too clear to his opponent. He wasn't going to just defeat Ryoga. True to his promise, he was going to _FINISH_ the fight... permanently.

Ryoga knew that he had only one chance at him as he cupped his hands and focused all his feelings of depression. He thought about all the pain and suffering that Ranma had put him through and how angry Akane had been when she had discovered the truth about P-Chan.

"_SHI SHI HOKODAN!_"

A huge blast of ki exploded from his hands and rocketed toward his foe. However, when the blast hit, Ranma's own aura flared like a miniature supernova, easily causing Ryoga's attack to be dispersed into wisps of green-white light.

Ryoga paled as he saw that his Normal Shi Shi Hokodan was worthless against his foe as he continued to advance toward him.

"Is that all you got, P-Chan?" Ranma said while glaring at him.

Ryoga delved deep into his innermost being, pulling out the most intense feelings of depression. He would have to go all out. Thinking of all the things that had gone in wrong in his life and how Ranma was the cause of those problems, Ryoga's aura became at its best intensity as he launched the largest blast he had ever produced, not caring if any innocents were in the way. He would win!

"_PERFECT SHI SHI HOKODAN!_"

The huge globe of energy rocketed up in a column of power as Ryoga expended just about all he had to destroy the one he hated most in the entire world. However, just as the globe came plummeting down at Ranma like a flaming meteor, the former resident of Nerima let off a blood-curdling cry as his own aura flared like the atomic bomb that had been dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

The Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan hit Ranma's aura and tried to blast through it. However, the enraged Ranma would not be stopped as his aura expanded into a red-hot umbrella of power and caused Ryoga's attack to explode harmlessly against it. As Ryoga held up his arms to shield his eyes from the blinding light, a figure charged at him from within that conflagration and slammed his fist into his gut, causing him to double over.

"_THIS IS THE END, RYOGA!_"

_**CRACK!**_

Ryoga's jaw received a hard blow and was dislocated.

"_I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU BLAMING ME FOR ALL YOUR GOD-DAMNED PROBLEMS!_"

_**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!**_

Several savage hits to the chest broke three ribs.

"_NOBODY WANTED TO HEAR MY SIDE OF THE STORY OR GIVE ME A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN!_"

_**CRACK!**_

A hit to Ryoga's right shoulder caused it to dislocate.

"_IT WAS ALWAYS MY FAULT, EVEN WHEN I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! WHENEVER SOMETHING WENT WRONG, IT WAS ALWAYS BLAME IT ON RANMA!_"

_**WHOMP!**_

Ryoga was now coughing up blood with every hit to the abdomen.

"_RANMA, EVERYONE'S FAVORITE PUNCHING BAG!_"

_**CRUNCH!**_

There goes the other wrist.

"_MOUSSE AND HIS HIDDEN WEAPONS!_"

_**CRACK!**_

Shattered left kneecap.

"_THOSE AMAZONS AND THEIR 3000 YEARS OF CHINESE AMAZON HISTORY BULLSHIT!_"

_**CRACK!**_

Fractured left tibia.

"_KODACHI AND HER POISONS. KUNO AND THAT STUPID STICK!_"

_**WHAM! WHAM!**_

The collarbone has been broken in two places.

"_THAT OLD PERVERT HAPPOSAI!_"

_**WHAM!**_

Make that three places.

"_THAT STUPID PLEDGE TO UNITE THE SCHOOLS!_"

_**BASH! CRASH!**_

You wouldn't recognize Ryoga's face now.

"_AKANE AND HER FUCKING MALLET!_"

_**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!**_

Say goodbye to three more ribs, Ryoga.

"_EVERY DAY, THE SAME CRAP, OVER AND OVER AGAIN!_"

**_SNAP!_**

Hope that broken arm heals soon.

"_YOU THINK YOU HAD IT BAD?_"

**_CRACK!_**

May take longer now that the arm has a compound fracture.

"_YOU THINK YOU'VE SEEN HELL? I WENT THROUGH HELL EVERY FUCKING DAY!_"

**_WHAM!_**

Now the other arm has been dislocated.

"_BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT I HATE THE MOST? THE MAIN REASONS WHY I LEFT?_"

**_WHAM! BAM! WHAM!_**

Don't know what's keeping Ryoga up now.

The massacre continued on as Eric landed blow after blow against Ryoga's now battered and broken form. In another minute or so, the Lost Boy was going to breathe his last. However, Eric did not care. He wasn't going to stop until every bone in Ryoga's body was reduced to splinters. If he were to let his opponent survive, he would just come back and attack him again for some stupid reason, just like always!

"_POP SOLD ME OUT GOD KNOWS HOW MANY TIMES, BUT STILL SAYS I HAVE TO MARRY AKANE OUT OF HONOR! MOUSSE KEEPS ON ATTACKING ME EVEN THOUGH I KEEP ON TELLING HIM THAT I NEVER WANTED SHAMPOO! SHAMPOO AND THAT OLD GHOUL ALWAYS TRYING TO TRICK ME OR USE SOME KIND OF POTION ON ME! NABIKI TAKING EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF ME AND SELLING PICTURES OF MY GIRL SIDE TO THAT PERVERT KUNO! AKANE AND HER GOD-DAMNED MALLET, TEMPER, COOKING AND ALWAYS JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS, EVEN WHEN IT WASN'T MY FAULT!_"

Ryoga's vision began to cloud as he was about to slip into unconsciousness.

"_AND THEN THERE WAS YOU! ONE OF THE BIGGEST FUCKING HYPOCRITES IN THE WORLD!_" Ranma emphasized his hatred of hypocrites with every blow.

"_IF... (**WHAM**)... THERE'S... (**WHAM**)... ONE... (**WHAM**)... THING... (**WHAM**)... I... (**WHAM**)... HATE... (**WHAM**)... IN... (**WHAM**)... THIS... (**WHAM**)... WORLD... (**WHAM**)... IT'S... (**WHAM**)... A... (**WHAM**)... GOD... (**WHAM**)... DAMNED... (**WHAM**)... HYPOCRITE!_"

The enraged fighter then began raining high-speed punches on Ryoga. What appeared to look like a hundred blows per second was actually one thousand hits per second. Ranma's aura was boosting his speed to unprecedented levels and a person would only see the thousandth hit. The remaining nine hundred and ninety-nine blows were too fast for the naked eye to follow.

"_YOU SAY I STAINED YOUR HONOR? YOU SAY I'M AN HONOR-LESS BASTARD? I WAS THERE FOR THAT DUEL! I KEPT YOUR SECRET! AFTER ALL THE SHIT I HAD TO TAKE FROM AKANE TO PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY AS P-CHAN, YOU'VE GOT SOME NERVE TO CALL ME HONOR-LESS! YOU'RE JUST LIKE THE PIG YOU TURN INTO!_"

Ryoga was now unable to hear any more as he slumped off, but Ranma didn't care as he held up the broken Lost Boy by the front of his shirt and cocked back his fist.

"_IT WASN'T ENOUGH THAT I HAD TO TAKE ABUSE FROM AKANE TO SAVE YOUR MISERABLE BACON! NO! YOU JUST HAD TO KEEP ATTACKING ME FOR SOME STUPID REASON AND NOT GIVING ME ANY CHANCE TO EXPLAIN! YOU NEVER TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL YOUR PROBLEMS AND JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, YOU JUST DECIDED TO DUMP THEM ALL ON ME! WELL I'M NOT GOING TO BE ANYONE'S DUMP SITE ANY MORE! IT'S TIME I PUT YOU OUT OF MY MISERY ONCE AND FOR ALL!_"

Ranma's fist cocked back even further and then hurtled toward Ryoga's head. With the power backing it, the blow would split Ryoga's head like a ripe melon.

"Eric! Stop!"

The blazing fist stopped within an inch of contacting with Ryoga's face as a small wind was stirred up. Ranma looked over his shoulder with an angry glare as Balla appeared behind him with her hands held out in a pleading gesture. On her forehead, the Tattoon symbol glowed with a soft red light.

"Please, Eric. No more. He's had enough."

Eric began to feel the soothing energies of Balla's presence begin to wash over him and his battle aura started to diminish. However, one final burst of rage made itself known as he threw Ryoga away like a broken rag doll, causing the unconscious and nearly dead martial artist to crash into another wall. He then let off a scream of pure, unadulterated anguish to the heavens above.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!_"

As the adrenaline and berserk rage finally wore off, he slumped down to his knees. Balla immediately went to his side and knelt down, cradling his head in her lap as he started to sob.

"W-Why? Why can't they all just leave me alone? I gave up my name... I gave up my life... what the _FUCK_ more do I have to do to get them to go away?!" Eric cried out as tears flowed.

"Shhhh, it's all right, Eric." Balla soothed. "I'm here for you. Just... let it all out."

As Ranma continued to cry, Balla looked over to where Ryoga lay and her eyes narrowed as she extended a hand toward him. The tattoo that was hidden on the back of her hand appeared as she began working her healing magic. However, unlike Brody, the Tattoon Priestess had decided not to heal all of his injuries and made certain that when Ryoga awoke, he'd still feel all the pain. He had no right to have hurt Brody or attack her beloved like that. As she had said before, the enemy of her husband was her enemy as well.

With that thought, she decided to add something extra as she drew a pattern in the air with her index finger. The symbol briefly appeared on Ryoga's forehead, then vanished as Balla continued with her healing magic.

Much later...

"Eric? Won't you talk with me?" Balla asked as she sat kneeling on the living room floor while Ranma quietly made dinner in the kitchen. After finishing with her healing, she had Ryoga placed in a nearby emergency ward and had brought Ranma back to their apartment. Since that time, she had also healed the injuries that Ranma had suffered in the battle, but he had remained silent since then.

Ranma shook his head and replied. "I don't feel like talking with anyone. Not that it matters. No one ever listens to me. Not my father. Not the Tendos. And especially not girls. No offense to you, but girls are nothing but trouble and they don't consider anything that I have to say as important. Just about all the problems I had in Nerima were linked one way or another to girls. So why bother?"

Balla felt a pang of hurt at his harsh words, but knew deep in her heart that he really didn't mean it. That was his bitterness talking and she had to get through that wall he had erected. She then took a deep breath and said quietly, "I'll listen."

This caught Ranma off guard as he turned his head to her. "What?"

"I said... I'll listen... to anything that you have to say."

"You... want to ... listen to me?" Ranma asked tentatively. To him, this was an absolute first. After all the craziness that he had endured in Nerima, a girl was actually willing to hear what he had to say before trying to hit him, either with a mallet or with affection. "You're just trying to make me feel better, aren't you?"

Balla shook her head. "I truly wish to listen to you and learn more about you. Maybe I did make you uncomfortable at first, but I truly believe that you are a wonderful person underneath that abrasive surface. Please, Eric... can't we just... talk?"

Ranma paused for a long time as he looked into those innocent eyes of the Tattoon girl. There was something about those violet depths that made even Akane's so-called cute smile seem like nothing. She was emitting an honesty that he found both appealing, yet scared him at the same time. At this moment, she was acting like Kasumi, (or a certain Goddess of the Present that we all know and love), and was showing him a kindness that he rarely ever knew. However, unlike the eldest Tendo daughter, who tended to ignore the bad things about people, (especially about Akane's violent tendencies and the chaos that surrounded Ranma's life), Balla was willing to accept Ranma as he was.

"You're really serious!" Ranma exclaimed as Balla nodded. "You really want to hear what I have to say?"

"Your words are important to me, Eric." Balla affirmed.

The martial artist found himself at a loss for words. This had never happened to him before. For the first time in his life, a girl was actually willing to hear him out. Ranma continued to look at the Tattoon girl for a long time before finally asking her. "You... really want to listen to me? No strings attached or anything?"

"Why would I ask for anything?" The girl said in confusion.

Ranma was almost overwhelmed at her honesty to him. He was actually with a girl who thought that his opinions and feelings were important. It was a totally new feeling for him and he was somewhat unsure of how to handle it. Finally, he nodded as he took a deep breath and set down in front of Balla. Then he began to talk.

Ranma began at the beginning, with his earliest memories of his training and the hardships he had to endure under his idiotic father, Genma. He told her of the various engagements and all the problems that had accumulated when he had come to Jusenkyo, then later to Japan. He informed her of the events which led to his problems with Ryoga as well as Mousse, Kuno and all his other rivals. He even told her of Ryoga's curse, since he considered that he was no longer Ranma Saotome and therefore was not bound by his promise to the Lost Boy. Most of all, he told her of the various girls who treated him as nothing more than a prize to be fought over and the countless acts of abuses that he had to endure with Akane. It was partially his hope that Balla would give up this silly idea about being married and go home, though he did felt a pang of regret at hurting her. After all this time, he had gotten... used to her. Though her personality did remind him a lot of a certain purple-haired Amazon he once knew, what set her apart from Shampoo was her honesty and willingness to actually give him a chance to speak. Furthermore, she was kindhearted like Kasumi and showed a loyalty that he admired. Even though she appeared flighty and somewhat a bubblehead, she wasn't stupid.

Balla began to understand why he was so set against getting close to a girl. If any man had been subjected to the kinds of pressure that he had to experience then he too would have sworn off women. However, she also knew that he did have a kind heart, deep down that he was a good person, despite his outward personality.

When Ranma finally finished with his long explanation of his previous life in Nerima, he took a long sigh and said to her, "Well, now that you know everything, I guess you can understand why I want nothing to do with girls. Still want me as your husband?" Ranma said the last part with a bit of a bitter edge to it.

However, Balla surprised him again as she leaned over to where he was sitting and kissed him tenderly on the mark she had made on his forehead, when they first met. "You bet!"

"What?" He leaned back in confusion at the smiling Tattoon Priestess.

Ball nodded as she explained. "I can understand at why you were so angry at that Ryoga person. He had no right to have attacked you or hurt Brody like that. He's just as much as the pig that he turns into. He deserved what he got, though I think that you went a little too far. As for those other people, the enemies of my husband are my enemies too!"

"You really don't..."

Balla shook her head cutting him off. "I mean it, Eric. All those people had no right to have forced those things on you. And I also know that you really are a good person deep down inside. You're so very kind."

"Me?"

Balla nodded as she began to tell Ranma of what Brody and Deiner had told her.

Flashback...

Deiner (narrating): We didn't take Eric's words seriously. Guess what? Those football players caught up with us. They totally humiliated us in front of everyone. Then Eric showed up.

We now see a scene in which the bullies are suddenly beset by Ranma and are beaten down in short order as both Brody and Deiner look on in awe. When the bullies are littering the landscape, Ranma simply walks away.

Deiner (narrating): We never saw anyone fight with such ferocity, like it was personal or something.

We now see Brody and Deiner calling after Ranma.

"Hey man! Who's side are you on?"

"I guess we owe you one, right?"

Ranma angrily turned around and glared at the two. "_NO YOU DON'T! JUST DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID AND PICK A FIGHT WITH SOMEONE STRONGER THAN YOU!_"

End of flashback...

"I know how you hate it when the weak are picked on by the mighty." Balla said. "You have much honor, far more than that Ryoga or those other people could ever hope to achieve. And the way you came to Brody's defense just shows just how much you care."

Ranma found himself at a loss of words as Balla leaned over and gently kissed his forehead again. "No matter what happens Eric, I'll always be on your side!"

Yet another rarity. A girl who was on HIS side? The marital artist just didn't know what to do. He couldn't get rid of Balla... and yet, did he really want to?

Balla could only smile at her husband's bewilderment.

Meanwhile, in Nerima...

"I protest! The Heavens would weep at five hundred thousand yen!"

"Take it or leave it, Kuno baby. Unless you _WANT_ your beloved pigtailed girl to remain in Ranma's clutches?"

"_SOLD!_"

"All right, Kuno. Just meet me after school tomorrow and I'll give you Ranma's whereabouts."

Nabiki smirked as she hung up the phone. It had been a very profitable night. After months of searching and following countless false leads, she had finally gotten a hold of where Ranma was now living. Takuya Shibana's theory had proven to be correct. Ranma had gone to Hiroshima. After following up on Ranma's new name of Eric Kobayashi, she had managed to access the academic register of the local high schools that had taken on new students in the last six months. Though she wasn't as proficient with computer hacking as the Computer Club members, she did possess some considerable talent and a head for numbers. After long hours of sifting through thousands of names, she had finally find the records of one student who had recently moved to Hiroshima from Tokyo, specifically from the district of Nerima. The student's name.... was Eric Kobayashi.

She had to admit that it had been an almost-perfect getaway. If the head of those computer nerds hadn't slipped up, then she would have never been able to find Ranma.

Nabiki looked at the money she had already collected from Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi and Mousse, which amounted to a large fortune. However, even adding the amount that Kuno was going to pay her was pocket change, compared to the money she would make when she once again had Ranma under her control.

The middle Tendo daughter decided that now was the time to let her family in on Ranma's whereabouts, for a small fee of course. She would need their help to drag Ranma home, but come home he would. He had no choice in the matter and that was that. She owned him and as her property, he was going to have to accept that fact.

Nabiki didn't know that she was starting on a road to her own demise as she went to tell her family and Genma of where Ranma was.

Things were going to get hot in Hiroshima, very soon.

One final scene...

Nodoka was tired after shopping all day and decided to stop at a coffee shop for some tea, before heading back to her relatives. As she sat down, she was greeted by one of Eric's coworkers.

"Hello again. What can I bring for you today?"

"Green tea please." She gazed at her server for a moment. "What happened to the other server? The one with the mark on his forehead."

"Oh, Eric? Today's his day off. Should I tell him that you are looking for him... Miss?"

"Kobayashi. Nodoka Kobayashi."

"Kobayashi? Are you related to him?"

"No. I don't have any relatives named Eric, and Kobayashi is a fairly common last name. In any case, I only use my maiden name when I'm in Hiroshima, since I do have family here."

"I see. So you know Eric?"

"Oh yes. I've seen him several times over the last few months. He's usually here whenever I come to Hiroshima to visit my family. I find him to be very charming, despite that gruff attitude of his. He's assertive, bold and not afraid to express himself. Oh, he's so manly and any girl who captures his heart would be extremely lucky."

The server cocked his head in slight puzzlement, but decided not to argue. "If you say so. I've heard that he has a girlfriend now. A real beauty from what I hear."

Nodoka clasped her hands together. "Really? How wonderful! I must remember to ask Eric to introduce her to me the next time I see him."

"It sounds like you and Eric are really close." The waiter commented as he went to fill Nodoka's order.

The wife of Genma smiled as she thought back to the last time she had seen Eric. She had found his wild, carefree spirit to be invigorating and his rough exterior made him seem so strong and sure! The scar on his forehead just added to his rugged good looks. He knew exactly what he wanted in life and didn't beat around the bush to get it. He was forceful, direct and didn't hesitate. That was a true mark of a man among men! However, he never failed to serve her with a smile and she could tell that he had a kind soul. He had soon became a favorite with Nodoka. And now he had a girlfriend! Further proof of his manliness!

_Ah, if Ranma turns out to be even half as manly as Eric, then I would be so happy!_

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Well, that takes care of the rewrite of this chapter. Yes, it is a bit more violent, but I wanted to convey just how anguished Ranma/Eric was as well as fill in some plot holes. This isn't the old Ranma that we know of. The original knew which lines not to cross. This new one doesn't even acknowledge those lines as he knows that they were what was holding him back, and causing new problems to appear, as well as having old ones to repeat themselves. Furthermore, Eric does not consider himself as Ranma anymore, so he doesn't play by those old rules. That outdated code of Ranma Saotome is for weenies! Eric's new code is simple; Don't bother me, and I won't have to break you.

For all those who think that Ryoga was portrayed as a homicidal maniac, well think about it. His biggest secret has been revealed and his worst nightmare has come true. Akane hates him. However, does he realize that it was his fault in the first place for not telling her? Does he ever realize it in the original story? Does he ever take responsibility for his mistakes? Nope. What does he do? He blames it on Ranma, like everyone else. Typical. Ryoga fans may say that he has a sense of honor, but I tend to think of it as a skewed version that's similar to Kuno's. He'll only use it when it suits him, and disregards it when it gets in his way. If he were truly honorable, he wouldn't have teamed up with Mousse, nor kept Shampoo's waterproof soap, which didn't belong to him. He wouldn't have tried to attack Ranma in his sleep. He tends to fight in a reckless manner, and in several cases, endangers innocent bystanders.

Ryoga is pretty much like Kuno and Mousse. They are driven by obsession and pride, which centers on the love of their lives, and the threat that Ranma represents to their goal to win the affection of the girl each one desires. They each may portray it differently, but it's still an obsession. And it is because of that obsession that they develop very narrow-minded views of their past actions, rationalizing them as correct, when simple logic denounces them as dishonorable or downright ludicrous!

This story portrays Ranma as he changes to a more direct and independent person who takes charge of his own destiny, while the personalities of the other characters remain the same. What will happen? Obviously, there's going to be a LOT of friction and conflicts. Can you blame Ranma for getting POed? All he wants is to start over and find the peace that was denied in his previous life. To paraphrase an old song lyric, he's saying that 'You can take this life and shove it!' Wouldn't you do the same?

In any case, that's enough rambling and I better start working on the next chapter rewrite.


	5. Chapter 5: Havoc in Hiroshima

**Tattoon Ranma**

Disclaimer: Well, I've got to disclaim, so here it is. Tattoon Master and Ranma 1/2 belong to their own respective creators, so don't bother me any more about petty details.

: Thoughts

**Chapter 5**

Havoc in Hiroshima

In the district of Nerima, certain parties were busily packing as they prepared for a trip to fulfill their dreams. However, unknown to any of them, the person in which they intended to retrieve to realize said dreams had changed in ways they would have never imagined. They all assumed that Ranma was the same naive, arrogant and clueless sap as he was before he had gotten angry and left. They had even disregarded that fateful day when Ranma had abandoned them and left without a trace. Now, with the information that Nabiki had provided for them, (at a very inflated prices of course), all parties were ready to claim their prize.

However, they all did not take one factor in account...

The 'prize' would not be as willing to return as they believed.

The Tendo home...

"Oh happy day! The schools will finally be joined!" Soun cried tears of happiness as he and Genma continued to pack their bags.

"Yes, Tendo. As soon as we get that boy of mine back here, we'll hold the wedding right away!"

"Oh my little Akane is getting married! I'm so happy!"

The two of them paused to take a pose.

"It's Soun's..."

"And Genma's..."

"Operation Get Them Hitched!" They said simultaneously.

Nabiki nodded as ran through the files. She had to give Ranma credit. He had actually managed to pull off a near-perfect escape. He had recruited some help from the computer nerds at Furinken, who had hacked through her security measures via the telephone modem. That was just after Ranma had obtained the codes from her personal hardcopy files that she kept hidden in a secret panel underneath her bed. Apparently, he had learned some very useful thieving skills from Genma. All of her files which concerned his outstanding debts and his secrets had been erased. The files that she had on the entire Computer Club and their debts were also wiped out by a virus that they had planted. In return, Ranma had helped them with the school bullies before he had left. Afterwards, those techno-geeks had used her files to free more than a half the student body and two-thirds of the teaching staff from her control.

Nabiki snorted. Ranma actually used his brain instead of his fists and succeeded in something that didn't involve the martial arts. It had been a very neat operation and she would have never expected something as complex as this from him.

Well, as soon as Ranma was brought back to Tokyo, Nabiki was going to be more on her toes and make certain that he doesn't pull another fast one. Ranma was just too big an income generator to let go. Kuno was in the mood for more photos of his pigtailed goddess, and Nabiki's supply had been all but exhausted since Ranma's departure. Then there were the betting operations she ran concerning his fights as well. Yet another lucrative sideline in jeopardy because Ranma just wouldn't accept his fate. Finally, there were those secrets that she had ferreted out about him that were worth their weight in gold. Secrets that people paid her to tell and Ranma paid her not to tell. Now without him present to blackmail and all of his files either wiped out or stolen, she would have to start from scratch again when she caught up to him. However, she was more than ready to put Ranma under her thumb again as she continued to pack for an extended trip to Hiroshima.

In her room, Akane was barely reigning in her anger and tears as she packed her own bags.

"That BAKA! Why do I have to go along? We were never engaged anyway!" Akane fumed to herself as she stuffed clothes and other things into her pack. She was still quite furious after learning the truth about P-Chan and the fact that Ranma had kept it from her. Naturally, she blamed Ranma for it. It always his fault! It always has been his fault! Even though she had pounded Ryoga for his deceit, she was still hopping mad at Ranma for leaving her in such a situation and all the problems which erupted due to his departure. Ukyo had snubbed her every time she came to her restaurant. Shampoo and Kodachi were constantly attacking her, blaming her for Ranma's absence. Kuno was unbearable and those boys at school kept attacking her for dates.

It was at this time that she realized that with Ranma gone, she now had to handle things on her own without him taking the blame. Her skills as a martial artist had not improved much since Ranma had come to Nerima. Ranma was no longer there to defend her, so she had to rely on her own mediocre skills, which were pretty much limited to breaking inanimate or slow-moving objects. She had gotten so used to Ranma taking the heat that she had not been training to improve. She had been the best martial artist in Nerima before Ranma came. However, her ranking had been moved from top to bottom. With all the constant fights between him the fiancées, and the rivals, everyone had been keeping their skills up and steadily getting better but her. Even Kuno had been improving in both endurance, (constantly attacking and getting pounded), and sword skill, (fighting with Ranma and being constantly defeated by him). Akane found out that she was out of practice. She had let her skills slide. She had been taking more hits every morning and was more exhausted afterwards, especially after dealing with Kuno. It was only because of the fact that Kuno still restrained from going all out that Akane managed to hold out against him.

That fact was of little comfort to her as she continued to blame Ranma for all of her troubles. He had been nothing but trouble as far as she was concerned. He was always insulting her and calling her uncute, (never mind the fact that he always defended her). He would never eat her cooking, always going off to eat Shampoo, Ukyo or Kodachi's food, and then flirt with them! She had worked so hard and he wouldn't even give her meals a try. Okay, so she needed just a little improvement. That was no reason to call her food toxic, (though in fact they were close enough), was it?

Ranma was nothing but trouble. He was a boorish, rude, egotistical jerk and she would have been better off never knowing him!

Akane continued to think this way as she continued to pack, silently making a vow to pound him flat the next time she saw him.

The Nekohanten...

"Now child, we _MUST_ bring back your groom!" Cologne said as she and her great-granddaughter continued to pack. On the outside of the restaurant, a sign was on the door, saying that the establishment would be closed for a few days.

"Shampoo can't wait to see Airen again!' The purple-haired girl smiled at the thought of being reunited with her future husband. Ever since he had left Nerima, Shampoo had been constantly been pestered by that idiotic, nearly blind Mousse. She was more than eager to shower her true love with affection. In fact, she and her great-grandmother had decided that once Ranma was found, he would be taken back to China to fulfill the Amazon Law of Marriage.

Nothing could stop them now!

Mousse's room...

_I won't let you steal my future bride Saotome!_ Mousse thought as he too packed for the trip to Hiroshima. Though he had been turned down by Cologne and Shampoo to accompany them, he had decided to go find Ranma first and eliminate him before they find him. Once he was out of the way, there would be nothing to stop him from claiming his beloved.

Along with necessities such as spare clothes and bath things, the Master of Hidden Weapons also decided to bring along some new equipment to remove Ranma from the equation once and for all. Despite the fact that Ranma no longer lived in Nerima, Shampoo still pined for him and rebuffed all of Mousse's attempts to win her over. His rage over how that egotistical jerk still held sway over Shampoo's affections continued to build over the past months. It was only after he had heard that Shampoo had purchased information about Ranma's current whereabouts that he came to a decision. It had cost him more than a month's salary to get the information from Nabiki, but now he was ready. He had decided that he had been going too easy on his rival for Shampoo's affections in the past. Honor and pride was what had been keeping him from his beloved, so who needed it?

Among his usual array of sharp, blunt, chained and varied assortment of melee weapons, he now laid aside the latest additions to his arsenal. This included a submachine gun, pistols, a few fragmentation grenades and several other pieces of military hardware.

Ranma will not stop him from achieving his lifelong dream of himself and Shampoo happily living together. He would see to that!

The Kuno Mansion, Kodachi's Laboratory...

The twisted sister of Tatewaki was busy preparing to leave for Hiroshima, She was more than anxious to beat the other girls to the prize and claim Ranma as her own. She was certain that the other harridans must had done something to him to have abandoned his one true love and she was determined to break him out of whatever spell was cast upon him.

"Do not worry, Ranma darling! I shall rescue you from their spell. I will follow you to the ends of the Earth, if need be. I will make you mine once again!"

Elsewhere in the bowels of the mansion, the other sibling of the Kuno family was also preparing to leave for Hiroshima. However, the reason why he was going was vastly different from his sister's.

"Ranma Saotome! You shall feel the righteous blade of the Blue Thunder! I shall rescue the pigtailed girl from your vile clutches and save the beauteous Akane from your foul engagement to her! This I vow!"

The Ucchan's...

"Oh Ran-Chan... why did you leave me?" Ukyo sighed as she put the closed sign over her front door and hefted her pack over her shoulder and prepared to head for the train station.

She had paid out a lot of yen for the scant information that Nabiki had sold to her for Ranma's current whereabouts, but it was better than just sitting around and pining for him. She had always considered herself as the real fiancée and Ranma's best friend. She could understand why he abandoned Akane and Shampoo, but why did he leave her as well? Wasn't she his Ucchan, the cute fiancée? Why would he be angry with her?

Ukyo had always thought that she would the best to make Ranma happy and it would be only a matter of time before he would realize it. She was his best friend after all. Wouldn't she be the most logical choice to be his future wife?

She still remembered the harsh words that he had last said to her when he unilaterally broke off all engagements. She couldn't believe that he could say such things or get as angry as he did. She kept telling herself that he really didn't mean those things, but after he had disappeared from Tokyo, her entire life had been filled with doubt. And the only way to relieve those doubts was to find her Ran-Chan! And those other hussies had better not get in her way!

Back at the Tendo residence...

"And just where do you think you two are going?" Happosai said as his two disciples groveled at his feet.

"M-M-Master! We have finally discerned that Ranma is in the city of Hiroshima and we were going to fetch him back." Genma stuttered as he employed his Crouch of the White Tiger.

"Oh? You found Ranma, eh?" Happosai said as he took a puff from his pipe. "Well, I will admit that panty raids have become boring without Ranma around to liven things up. And I have found out that all the other pretty ladies have also gone to find him as well. Without them, all the fun has gone out of it. So I will be accompanying you as well to get my star pupil back."

"You're coming with us, Master?!" Soun gulped. Both he and Genma knew about the ancient pervert's appetites and any trip which involved him always ended up in disaster. They could already see in their minds hordes of angry women chasing after him as he ran with a huge sack of stolen panties and bras over his shoulder. They could see him running out of restaurants and shops without paying for the things he stole. They could also see themselves taking the blame and the repercussions, a role in which Ranma had filled when he was here. They had already experienced it once before during their training journeys and they had no desire to repeat it. They must get Ranma back at all costs! He was the future of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts and their ticket to an early and luxurious retirement. He was the one who should handle Happosai, not them!

Genma winced and silently lamented that he had been cursed with such an ungrateful son who had disregarded his family honor and left his poor father to such misfortune.

With Ranma gone, there was no one to keep Happosai in check and the area had suffered major underwear thefts and stolen goods. Though since Ranma had departed, the master had lost interest without any real challenge. However, Soun had been pushed to his mental limits at his master's escapades. The integrity of the dojo was at stake and if word should leak out that the infamous underwear thief was living there...

No they must get Ranma back! Genma had already invested too much in that boy to give up on his dream now! Without him, Soun would have no reason to let him stay and he certainly couldn't go back home to his wife without their son. He remembered very vividly the contract he had signed for Nodoka when he took Ranma away on that training journey. He preferred to have its head in its present position on his shoulders.

Meanwhile in Hiroshima at Ranma's apartment...

"Are you sure I can do this Balla? I mean, I can do martial arts, no problem, but I don't know anything about magic, besides that Jusenkyo curse I used to have."

"I'm sure that you will be able to master Tattoon Power, Eric. As my husband, you are part of the Tattoon Tribe after all and I've seen the power that you possess. You'll do fine." Balla gave her husband a smile as she instructed him to take up a lotus sitting position opposite to her on the floor.

Ranma was about to say that they weren't married, but decided to let it go for now. He was always interested in learning new techniques and decided that it wouldn't hurt to get to know Balla better.

Little did he know that he would soon need her support, when the Nerima Wrecking Crew came for him.

"So what exactly is this Tattoon Power?"

Balla thought for a moment before replying to him. "Tattoon Power was developed by my tribe to harness the power of nature by using our own life energies to manipulate the mystical properties of the environment around us. It's something like that ki power that you use, but much more refined." Ranma had explained his power over ki to her during one of his training sessions and it was similar to what she had been taught during her education as a Tattoon High Priestess. She then raised a hand and showed him the symbol that was usually hidden on the back. "These mystic tattoos allow us to focus our concentration and shape that power into any form that we wish." She then produced a globe of yellow energy under her hand and closed it into a fist. The energy elongated into a shaft and formed a pulsating energy sword. Ranma's eyes widened as he studied that energy construct. He nodded and held out his own hand with the palm facing up. He began concentrating, focusing his anger into his ki and furrowed his brow in intense concentration.

Soon a ball of red energy formed above his palm as Ranma continued to increase his concentration. He then closed his fist around that sphere and to Balla's amazement, it too elongated into a shaft of light. However, he was unable to hold it for more than a few seconds and the construct faded away. He let his hand drop as his brow relaxed. At the same time, Balla released her own hold on her sword and made it disappear.

Balla was impressed. _He almost got it!_ "Eric! That was amazing! Just after seeing me do it once, you almost managed to shape your own energy!"

Eric nodded as he explained. "I've got kind of a talent for absorbing techniques. I guess that's what makes me such a good martial artist. Remember that Cologne person I told you about? Though I don't like the way she and her great-granddaughter try to trick or force me into following that Amazon Law of theirs, she did tell me something once while I was training in one of her techniques."

Flashback...

"Now son-in-law, what did you see?"

Ranma looked at her for a moment after she had demonstrated the Hiryu Shoten Ha. "Well, I'm not totally sure, but I think it went something like this." He picked up a stick and then drew a large spiral pattern on the ground.

Cologne chuckled a bit and nodded. "That's my son-in-law! He picks up on a technique after being shown only once. He rarely has to be shown twice!"

End of flashback...

"I usually understand the 'how' of a move, but not really the 'why' of it" Eric finished.

Balla nodded. "So after seeing me shape my own power, you were able to adapt it to shape your own ki. That's pretty good, but it does have its drawbacks you know. I noticed that you couldn't hold it for very long."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. When I learned how to use my anger to channel my ki, well... I didn't really have a reason to be mad all the time after I had left Nerima. When Ryoga showed up, I HAD a reason to be royally pissed off. But I was so tired and drained afterwards."

Balla nodded. "When my tribe developed its powers, we too had first used our emotions to help focus our energies, but we soon learned that it was too erratic and draining for us. We couldn't feel the same way all the time. That was when we developed these tattoos, which allow us to direct and focus our power without draining us. We also used these tattoos to draw power from nature itself to augment our own energies." She then some more tattoos appear on her arms.

"Neat! But I really don't know if I want my body punctured with a bunch of tattoos."

"Don't worry Eric. These tattoos aren't like the ones you are familiar with." She then made the marks on her hand and arms disappear. "They keep out of sight when they're not being used. You've already have one here." She pointed to the mark on his forehead.

"What? You mean this thing?" Ranma pointed to his own forehead. "It's just that scratch you gave me when we first met. It'll heal up eventually."

Balla shook her head. "No Eric. That is your Primary Mark. It won't fade away. I have one myself." Balla gestured to the back of her right shoulder as she turned her back to him. She moved the thick blonde tresses of hair to one side and the fabric of her halter top to reveal a small mark on her skin. The mark resembled a kind of star symbol. "This is the Primary Mark that I had been given when I was born. This is the main focal point that I use. All those other tattoos that I had developed during my training as the High Priestess are secondary marks which I can easily hide."

"I still don't understand what this all have to do with this mark you gave me."

"It's quite simple Eric. Did you feel a certain sensation yesterday? Did you somehow feel a need to come to my side when we were attacked by Ryoga?"

Ranma nodded as he remembered that day. "I do remember feeling something."

Balla nodded as she gestured Ranma to look toward a nearby wall mirror as she focused her own power. The tattoo that was situated on her own forehead appeared and to Ranma's surprise, the mark on his own began to glow and change shape. That same sensation that he felt the day before returned as the Tattoon girl explained. The crisscross mark now gave off a soft white light as it mirrored the one on Balla's brow.

"The purpose of our power is not to extend it over others, but to make bonds. You and I are connected and it is through that bond that you can draw new strength." Balla then dismissed the mark on her head, which caused Ranma's mark to return to it's simple design. "You've been so consumed with anger and resentment over those who have tried to force their will over you that you have let your rage take control of you. You've isolated yourself and that's not good. As I have said before, Eric, I'm here for you. You don't need to shun yourself because I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

"Uh... that's real nice to know." Ranma said tentatively, as he was still in a state of disbelief that a girl was actually there for him and would listen to him. It was a whole new experience for him and it kind of scared him. "Thanks."

"Welcome!" Balla replied cheerfully as she continued on with the instructions on how to use Tattoon Power.

Several hours later...

Ranma lay down on his futon and absently looked at the back of his hands. He focused on them and began concentrating as Balla had showed him. A faint outline of tattoos began to form on them. Within those images, he could begin to feel nature's essence begin to flow through them as well as his own ki. However, unlike the anger-driven energy that he normally wielded, this new power was more passive and flowed smoother. The images of the tattoos faded away as he couldn't hold it for more than a few heartbeats.

"Don't try so hard right now, Eric." Balla cautioned as she was in kitchen and preparing the evening meal. "Let your tattoos develop gradually. You'll be able to focus better once they've fully formed."

"I still can't believe that I have these things. You didn't use any needles or anything to print them on my skin. Just one wave of your own hand and bam! There they are." Ranma had felt no pain at all during the implantation of the two tattoos into his hands. Balla had imprinted the general pattern into his skin and let them take on their own personal design. The one on his left had resembled the Japanese Kanji for Wild Horse. The one on his right looked like a fancy yin/yang symbol. The Tattoon Priestess assured her husband that other tattoos will begin to form all over his body as he improves in using the power. Like the ones on her body, Ranma's new tattoos will keep hidden, until used . Only his Primary Mark would remain visible.

Balla smiled as she looked at Eric's expression of wonder. "Only a few, very special outsiders can properly wield the power of my tribe and I knew from the start that you'd be able to do it. It's just going to take some more time, that's all."

"Balla..."

"Yes Eric?"

Ranma paused for a very long time as he looked in her eyes. He then gave her a small smile. "Thank you... for being there for me... when nobody else would."

The Tattoon Priestess smiled back at Ranma. Little by little, she was starting to chip away at that shell of his.

A day later...

"Eric! How nice to see you again!"

Ranma looked up from the table he had been bussing and smiled as he saw his favorite customer sit down at the counter. After finishing with wiping the table, he went over to greet her.

"Hello again Ms. Kobayashi."

Nodoka smiled as she gave him an off-handed wave. "Please, just call me Nodoka."

"It wouldn't be proper to address you so... informally."

"Nonsense! We've known each other for months now, and you've always given me exceptional service. I like to think of you as part of my family, since we both have the same last name."

Eric shook his head while smiling. "Kobayashi is a common name you know."

"Yes, I know...." Nodoka wistfully gazed the teen. "Still, any mother would be proud to call a nice, strong, handsome young man like you, her son. I hear that you now have a girlfriend."

The martial artist's cheeks took on a slight red tinge. "Well... I guess... you could call Balla a girlfriend... I mean, she is a friend, er... and she is a girl."

"Ahhhhh..." Nodoka smiled knowingly. "So Balla is her name? You simply must tell me all about her!"

Eric scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well... I'm still getting to know her myself... I mean, I'm not too sure about this marriage stuff, but..."

"Marriage?" The older women stressed. _At such a young age too! How manly indeed!_ "You're married to her already? How wonderful!"

"No! That's not what I meant!"

"You're not married to her?"

Ranma frantically waved his hands in denial. "No! Yes! I mean... er, uh... what was I saying again? Ahhhhh.... nuts!"

As Eric tried to figure out how to explain it to Nodoka, he wondered just what was it about her that made him so eager to tell her his feelings. Nodoka was just a regular customer, but there was some quality about her that made him feel warm inside. Every time she asked him a personal question, the martial artist discipline would fly right out of the window.

_Man! I never got this way back in Nerima! I wonder if my own Mother would have been as nosy as she is about my social life? Well, at least I only have to worry about Nodoka asking me about who I'm seeing. I don't have a certain, uncute, jealous and violent tomboy fiancee breathing down my neck any more._

Don't be so sure...

Later that day, several figures got off the train from Tokyo. They consisted of three girls between the ages of 16 to 19, one bulky, bald man in a white gi with glasses, a very short, very old and very perverted dwarf in a purple gi, and a tall, thin man in a brown gi and a mustache. The Tendos, Happosai, and Genma Saotome had arrived.

Nabiki shook her head as she mentally calculated the cost of the train tickets from the family budget. Without Ranma around to generate income, the Tendo family had to limit their spending. Even with the large sums she had received from Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi, Kuno and Mousse, the trip had been expensive. She was thankful that she didn't have to pay for any further repairs on the Tendo Home with Ranma gone, but she was still anxious to get back Ranma and have things put back to normal.

"I still don't see why we have to be here!" Akane said as she angrily got off the train to join her family. "We don't need that jerk Ranma!"

"Akane!" Soun scolded as he took on a stoic air. "He is your fiancé and..."

"He's not my fiancé!" The short-tempered girl spat back as she angrily grabbed her luggage. "He can go and die for all I care! I never wanted that pervert in the first place!"

Soun simply smiled as he and Genma watched Akane stomp off to talk with her sisters.

"Ah, young love!" Soun said fondly, oblivious to the obvious tension.

"Yes, Soun! A perfect match!" Genma agreed. "You see how excited she is now that she will be reunited with Ranma? They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"Well said Saotome! We must not delay any longer! As soon as we get Ranma back, we'll hold the ceremony immediately!"

"Yes, and the future of the Anything Goes will be assured at last!" _Not to mention my early retirement and life of luxury!_ Genma silently added.

At this point, Happosai was thinking about his star pupil and how he was looking forward to nuzzling his face in Ranma-chan's bosom. He wasn't at all worried about Ranma putting up some resistance against returning with them to Nerima. He had just the thing to make certain that he would come along. He may have grown stronger since they last saw him, but even he would not be able to resist once the old pervert had placed the Moxibustion Point on him.

At the same time, in another part of city, Cologne and Shampoo had disembarked from an earlier train and were now searching for the same person. They were very anxious to find him and had decided to simply drag him back to China once they located him. Cologne also knew of the Moxibustion Point and was planning to use it to make her son-in-law more docile. Shampoo was just eager to glomp her Airen once more.

High above them, a duck with thick glasses was flying overhead, intent on getting to Ranma before the two Amazons did.

In a hospital room...

Ryoga slowly regained consciousness as he found himself lying in a bed. He found that he couldn't feel a thing in his body as he had been feed massive amounts of sedatives and painkillers which made him a bit groggy. It was just as well that he couldn't feel a thing. With the injuries that he had sustained from the beating he had taken from Ranma, he would have been feeling a whole new level of physical pain. Though Balla's healing spell had taken care of the worst of his injuries, she had decided that he didn't deserve to be spared the pain. So she had cast the spell in which the critical injuries would be mended enough, but the non-lethal damages were not. She had also added a little something extra to ensure that Ryoga would never again try to attack her beloved again. That particular spell would take effect as soon as Ryoga would leave the hospital under his own power.

The internal bleeding, shattered ribs and concussion he had received had been completely healed, but the broken arms, mangled wrists, dislocated shoulders, fractured jaw, shattered kneecap, broken collar bone, leg and so on, as well as the multiple bruises and contusions, had not been restored. Balla had also cast the spell in a special way so that Ryoga would feel the pain of every injury for some time. As of now, the painkillers were the only thing that were keeping him from screaming out in agony.

It was at that moment that those medications wore off and all that pain came in like a tidal wave as soon as he tried to move.

"_YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGG!!!!!_"

The hospital shuddered and briefly jumped into the air at Ryoga's scream of pain before settling down its foundations. Then it shuddered again at Ryoga's scream of vengeance.

"_RANMA SAOTOME! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!!!!_"

Speaking of whom, a few days later...

Eric sighed as he sat in the classroom, absently staring at his hand as he drummed his fingers on his desk. He wasn't at all interested in the lesson as it was just a very boring lecture about another non-remarkable period in Japan's history. Beside him, Balla was giving him a concerned look. She was well aware of how angry her beloved had been after that encounter with that awful Ryoga person. He had every right to be angry of course, and she had been teaching him how to use Tattoon Power to get his mind off it.

Ranma had been quite enthusiastic about the training, but she could still see the sadness and depression in his eyes. Apparently, he still had strong ties and feelings which concerned his previous life in Nerima. He displayed so much pain and anguish, that it tore at Balla's heart to see him hurt every time the subject cropped up. Brody and Deiner had been pressing him about the details about that fight with Ryoga, but a glare and the unspoken promise of pain always made them keep silent.

The Tattoon girl was feeling a bit helpless at the fact that her husband was tearing himself inside and was lashing out with anger and frustration. The bond that she shared with Ranma made her quite aware to his inner feelings. She knew that his gruff exterior only hid the more fragile and sensitive side within. She felt the emotions of his entire life and after what he had told her about his past, she was more than understanding of what he was going through. She mentally made a note to redouble her efforts to get him to open up more. Unlike those other girls, Balla was willing to listen.

In front of them, Lisa gave both Eric and Balla an irritated look. She just couldn't believe that any girl could fawn over that jerk! The way that blonde floozy showered him with affection was just sickening! Didn't Balla have any pride as a female?

Lisa found herself surprised at getting angry at Balla and her treatment of Eric. What made her more angry was the fact that Eric wasn't giving her his usual woman-hating attitude and was actually tolerating her presence. When a small part of her was telling her that she was feeling a bit jealous at the attention Eric was giving her, she immediately went into denial and banished that silly thought from her mind.

However, that tiny nagging doubt would not go away.

Mousse knew that he was getting close as he walked through the streets of Hiroshima in his human form. He could sense it. It was only a matter of time before he came face to face with the one obstacle to his beloved Shampoo. And he was ready for him! The new weapons in his robes were primed and loaded. He had enough firepower and explosives to take out an entire city block.

Though using guns and such weapons seemed out of character for a martial artist, Mousse had no compunctions against using them in battle against his hated foe. He would win Shampoo's love... by any means possible. He was confident that he would at last triumph against Ranma! With the new additions to his arsenal, his rival wouldn't stand a chance, even with that new technique of his!

Amazingly enough, even with his near-sightedness he was actually heading in the right direction toward his quarry. He was nearing the high school in which Ranma was currently attending.

Akane angrily threw her suitcase and pack down on the bed of the hotel room and then sat down beside them. She was still quite angry at being in Hiroshima on some fool's errand. What did they need that baka Ranma for? He had been nothing but trouble since he came to Nerima! She and her family would have been better off without him! Ever since he arrived at her home, her entire world had been turned upside-down.

She had been the envy of all her friends and school mates. She had been the best martial artist in Nerima and the most popular girl in school. All the boys wanted her, especially Kuno. Why else did they go through the trouble of challenging her for a date? Though she despised those perverts and their overtures, and especially the ones that came from the Blue Blunder, she did like being the center of attention. She had been at the top, with no one who could match her skills. She was the heir to a prestigious martial arts dojo. She was revered to be the best and none could even come close to her status. Then Ranma came along.

In less than a day, her status as the best martial artist as well as being the focal point of attention was destroyed. She was no longer Akane, the best martial artist in Nerima. She had been downgraded to Akane, the fiancee to Ranma Saotome. That's how people called her after the pigtailed boy came onto the scene. She had despised being forcibly engaged to some 'boy' and people became more interested in the newcomer than in her. She had thought that her father would give up this stupid nonsense about uniting the schools, but he and that baka's father were dead set to seeing it through. And when trouble followed Ranma from China and from his past, things just kept on going from bad to worse. It had been Ranma's fault in the beginning and it was always his fault that all those problems came to her home.

Though she had consistently denied having any feelings for the heir to the Saotome School, there were times in which she actually tolerated, and even liked his company. However, he would always make her so angry that those brief moments were always forgotten and he'd received a pounding. He always deserved it naturally for calling her names and berating her cooking.

Akane snorted in disgust. She wanted this to be over and done with so she could get on with her life... without Ranma. It was at that moment that she shivered a bit at the thought of her world without that baka and found that a part of her didn't want such a thing. She angrily pushed those feelings aside and continued to fume about how this entire mess was Ranma's fault.

The school day ended with no fanfare as the students began filing out of the main building and headed home. Eric and Balla were walking together, along with Brody and Deiner as they neared the main gate. Both Brody and Deiner continued to prod Eric on the events which occurred yesterday.

"C'mon Eric, give us the details." Deiner asked.

"Yeah, I mean what was up with that guy and why was he so pissed off when he saw you?" Brody said.

Ranma growled menacingly as he turned to address the two. "Listen you dopes. I told you before that I don't want to talk about it. I have my reasons."

"What reasons are those?" Brody asked.

The former heir to the Anything Goes held up a hand and replied in a very low, but dangerous voice. "I'll give you FIVE very good reasons why you shouldn't ask." He then began folding his fingers while counting. "One... two... three... four..." He then held up his clenched fist to them while surrounding it with an intense red aura. "FIVE!"

Both boys gulped and gave him sheepish smiles while backing off.

"Those are very good reasons." Deiner said while nervously laughing.

"Yeah, you can't any better reasons than those." Brody agreed.

Ranma nodded as he lowered his fist and turned to Balla. "Let's go home."

The Tattoon Priestess nodded as she waved goodbye to Brody and Deiner. However, before they could walk a dozen feet, her beloved suddenly stiffened up as he felt the presence of someone familiar. They were just passing by the statue of the school's founder. There was a slight whisper and she was immediately swept up into Ranma's as he shouted out a warning.

"Look out!"

Balla saw the flash of metal as she was instantly carried off from the spot from where they had just been. There was a loud series of clanging noises as several sharp spikes, chains and knives hit the pavement. She then saw a figure in a white robe and wearing a goofy-looking mask standing on a nearby wall and looking down on them.

"Heh, heh, heh. I finally found you... Ranma Saotome."

Eric growled again as he set Balla down and glared at his attacker. "First that pig-boy and now this idiot." Without taking his eyes off Mousse, Ranma said to his companion, "Balla, get everyone as far back from this place as you can."

"What's going on, Eric?"

Ranma shook his head. "No time to explain! Get everyone back!"

Balla paused for a moment, before nodding, realizing that this stranger was yet another one of her beloved old rivals. She quickly began waving to anyone who was watching to get back.

Mousse leapt down from the wall to land a few meters away from the one he despised the most. "Heh. At last I will finally remove the one obstacle to my darling Shampoo!" He then pointed a finger. "Ranma Saotome, prepare to meet your end!"

"What the hell are you talking about, you near-sighted moron? And I'm over here!"

Students who were watching this exchange, were wondering why the newcomer was addressing the statue of the founding father of their school.

Mousse sneered as he continued to address the figure of stone. "You think you can hide from me, Ranma Saotome? I can see through that lame disguise and..."

"I'm right over here, you moron!" Eric yelled before the crowds began to laugh. That was when Mousse took off his mask, pulled out his coke-bottle glasses and saw that he was talking to a statue. He then turned and saw his real foe, standing before him with arms crossed.

"Oh, there you are. Now Ranma Saotome, you shall feel the righteous wrath of the Master of Hidden Weapons as I claim my darling Shampoo and..."

"Oh spare me!" Eric said while cutting him off. "What's your problem, Mousse? I told you before, that I want nothing to do with Shampoo! Besides, I don't even live in Tokyo any more!"

"Don't think you can try to talk your way out of this one, Ranma Saotome!" Mousse roared as he held out his sleeved arms and prepared to attack. "Shampoo would have given her love to me if it were not for you! She and that old mummy are in Hiroshima now looking for you, but I'm going to make certain that they never find you! Once you are gone, then there won't be anyone to stand in my way to claim my Shampoo!"

"What?! They're here too?!" Ranma growled as he realized that he had to deal with those Amazons once again.

Meanwhile, the people in the crowds were wondering what was going on...

"What's this guy talking about?"

"He wants to kill Eric for some shampoo?"

"Why doesn't he just go to the nearest store?"

"His name is moose?"

"Why did he just talk to that statue?"

Mousse fumed as he prepared to unleash his full fury at his most hated rival. "Enough talk! It's time we settled things once and for all! I shall at last prove myself worthy of Shampoo's love!"

Ranma tensed up as he went into a ready stance. "If you're looking for a fight, then bring it on! Your Hidden Weapon techniques didn't mean a thing to me before, and they don't mean squat to me now!"

"We'll see about that! In the past, you've only sampled a small part of my arsenal! For the love of Shampoo, _DIE RANMA SAOTOME!_"

It was at that moment that crowds screamed as Mousse pulled out a submachine gun and opened fire.

To be continued...

Author's notes

Once again, many of my readers are probably thinking that I'm a real stinker for leaving them hanging like this, but this chapter was pretty long and I do need to sleep. As for Mousse now resorting to guns as out of character for him, all I can say is why not? I mean, he's used lethal measures against Ranma before with knives, spikes, spears, swords, and even high explosives. What's the difference? Guns are just fancy versions of projectile weapons such as bows, crossbows and slingshots. I kind of think of Mousse like the ninja who uses surprise and underhanded tactics. Honor is not really a strong point as compared with getting the job done. I rather believe that in the past, Mousse more or less relied on traditional weapons. However, to him, any object can be used as a weapon, so it really isn't as unbelievable for him to use firearms. Also, his obsession over Shampoo makes him rationalize things which are completely against the martial artist's code of honor. And he has attacked Ranma before with innocent bystanders in the way.

In any case, Ranma is not going to stand for it as he and Mousse mix it up and we will be seeing more interaction between him and Balla as the rest of the Nerima crew comes a calling.

The revision to this chapter is relatively minor with grammar and spelling checked and the added scene with Nodoka talking with her son, though neither one is aware that they are mother and son.


	6. Chapter 6: Another Solution?

Tattoon Ranma

Disclaimer: Aw Mom! I don't want to disclaim!

: Thoughts

Chapter 6

Another Solution?

"_LOOK OUT!_" Eric shouted as he dove to push the innocent bystanders out of the way. Unfortunately, Mousse was unconcerned with such insignificant details as he continued to fire with the submachine gun in his hands. His hatred for the one who still held his beloved's heart was so great, that he no longer cared about such petty concerns such as pride, honor or any other aspect of civilized thinking. He just couldn't believe that after all the years of devoting himself to Shampoo; after countless rejections; the sacrifices he had made; even after Ranma had flat-out rejected and left Shampoo, his intended bride was still determined to win that jerk and ignored her loyal Mousse! Life was just so unfair!

No. The only way for Shampoo to finally forget about Ranma was to remove him from the equation... permanently! Only then would she truly realize that only he, Mousse the Master of Hidden Weapons was the only man that was worthy of her! And if anyone got in the way, then they were obstacles. And in accordance to Amazon Law, obstacles were meant for killing! To the myopic Mousse, Ranma was the biggest obstacle of them all! And if that meant that he had to destroy all other obstacles to achieve his main objective, then so be it!

The crowds began screaming and ducking for cover as the enraged Amazon tried to gun down the agile martial artist. Many students fell over themselves as they pushed and shoved to get out of the line of fire. When the deadly barrage was about to hit the first of the innocent bystanders, it seemed like it was the end.

Eric gritted his teeth as he threw himself in front of the crowds. He knew that his fellow students would not be able to avoid being hit and decided on a sacrificial move by placing himself between Mousse and the crowds. It looked as if he would be killed along with his peers, as he saw Mousse take aim and pulled the trigger.

"_NOW YOU DIE, RANMA SAO... WHAT THE?!_"

However, in that instant, a sudden hurricane blast of wind was swept up in front of Mousse, causing him to be carried up into the air like a leaf. His shots went wide and he soon lost his grip on his weapon as he was tossed about by the gale force winds. He was sent flying off into the distance as Eric watched him with shock.

Eric turned around and saw Balla standing with one arm extended and her feet spread apart. He clearly saw the mystic tattoos on her forehead and the backs of her hands glowing brightly as winds whipped around her. She then relaxed and let her tattoos fade away as the air currents died down.

"Are you all right, Eric?" Balla asked as she rushed to her beloved.

Ranma nodded as he realized that the Tattoon Priestess must have summoned up that wind to throw Mousse away before a stray bullet hit anyone. "I'm fine Balla. Thank you."

"I'm so glad that you're all right!" Balla said as she jumped up and tightly embraced him.

Ranma gently pushed her back as he looked in the direction where Mousse had been thrown. His eyes narrowed, as he knew that his old rival would return. He couldn't afford to wait for that to happen. If what had just occurred was any indication, more innocents would be endangered. No... just as he had done with Ryoga, Ranma knew that he would have to have it out with Shampoo's suitor, once and for all.

"Balla, make sure that everyone is all right. I have to go."

"Eric! Wait!" Balla called after him as he quickly leapt up to a nearby rooftop and ran in the direction of where Mousse had been thrown. He was gone in an instant, leaving only a shocked crowd and a very concerned girl, who was soon joined by another.

"Who the HELL was that?!" Lisa demanded as she ran up with her longbow drawn and an arrow notched.

Balla could only shake her head sadly as she continued to gaze in the direction where her beloved had disappeared. It had begun again.

A few blocks away...

Mousse landed hard in a garbage dumpster behind a shopping center, making a loud, crashing noise and sending refuse scattering everywhere. He moaned as his entire body ached from the impact. Though he did carry an insane amount of metallic and sharp weapons, he also had a fair amount of padding in those robes, which was probably what saved his spine from shattering from the landing. He gritted his teeth as he struggled to haul himself from the trash.

_Damn you, Ranma!_ Mousse fumed as he dragged himself out of the metal trash bin. _Where the **HELL** did that wind come from?!_ Then the Hidden Weapons Master incorrectly assumed that Ranma had caused that sudden tornado. That dried-up mummy Cologne had taught his rival the Hiryu Shoten Ha, so that had to have been how he had been thrown into the air. The near-sighted Amazon male let off a scream of rage as he got up and threw off the bits of refuse that now soiled his formally white robes.

"_RANMA! YOU WILL DIE!_"

At that moment, the object of Mousse's anger and frustration came onto the scene, leaping down from the top of a nearby store and taking a ready stance some twenty meters away.

Ranma growled at his old rival with disgust as Mousse returned the glare. His mouth curled into a snarl as he saw the Hidden Weapons expert take a stand, though he was a bit shaky after his abrupt flight and landing. However, now that he had finally found his arch-nemesis and biggest obstacle to his beloved Shampoo, the myopic teen was unconcerned with minor nuisances such as physical pain.

"I thought I left all my troubles behind when I abandoned Nerima, but I guess I was wrong. First Ryoga, and now you! What the _FUCK_ did you think you were doing back there?! You could have killed someone! And what's with the gun?!" Ranma gritted.

"Nothing is going to save you this time, Ranma!" Mousse declared as he pulled out a pair of handguns from his sleeves and fired.

However, with no innocent bystanders to worry about this time, Eric didn't have any problems with using his superior speed and agility to dodge the bullets. The shots whizzed by and spattered harmlessly against a nearby wall. The Hidden Weapons Master screamed out as he felt his hands being crushed along with his guns as his opponent grabbed hold of both his weapons and squeezed. There was a sickening sound of popping tendons along with snapping plastic and bending metal. When he looked down at his opponent, he saw his eyes glowing with rage.

"Resorting to guns now, Mousse? You really _ARE PATHETIC!_" Without letting go of Mousse's hands, he pulled back and swung him around, slamming him into a nearby lamppost. Mousse went sprawling, but he stubbornly got up and looked down at his hands. Though they were aching and cut, they could still move their fingers as he dropped his broken weapons.

He then reached into his robes, brought out a wicked set of brass knuckles, and swung hard at Ranma's face. However, Ranma made no attempt to block or dodge the blow as his red aura glowed once again, and this time, with the mark on his forehead glowing as well. The punch hit him squarely on the chin, but the maddened martial artist didn't even register the hit as he simply turned his cheek, then glared back at his foe. For Mousse, it was a different story altogether as more pain shot through his hand from the impact.

"_AARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!_"

Now there were some broken bones in that hand.

Ranma growled dangerously as a small bruise formed on his cheek. "You maybe good at hiding weapons, Mousse, but your Hidden Weapons style has some serious drawbacks!"

_**WHOMP!**_

The punch that Mousse received in his gut hit like a speeding bus, doubling him over and causing him to reflexively open his hands. His brass knuckles dropped to the ground and made a dull clattering noise.

"You depend too much on your weapons to do the job, so your punches and kicks don't pack _NOWHERE NEAR_ as much force as mine do! Preschoolers have hit me harder!"

With lightning speed, Eric grabbed the brass knuckles and fitted them around his own hand. He then launched a haymaker at Mousse's teeth.

_**WHAMMO!**_

There goes about a dozen teeth out of Mousse's mouth and splattered on the pavement.

"Weapons can be taken away and used against you!"

_**WHOMP! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! BOOT! CRASH!**_

A savage five-hit punch and kick combo sends Mousse flying back toward the dumpster.

"You may be good at long-range, but when it's close-quarters, you're too slow and your defense sucks!"

Ranma then grabbed his opponent by the front of his robes and slammed his forehead against Mousse's.

_**WHOP!**_

"All those weapons don't mean _SHIT_ when you're too dazed and not given enough time to use them !"

"I'm not finished yet.." Mousse gasped as he tried to pull out another weapon.

However, Ranma wasn't going to have any more of it. "_SHUT UP!_ To me, you're done, _BUT I'M NOT!_" He then delivered another brutal combination, this time with nine punches, one knee to the abdomen and another kick to the chest. This made Mousse cough up some more blood. Eric continued to pummel away as he ranted and raved.

"_BUT YOUR BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH YOUR FIGHTING STYLE IS THAT YOU LET YOUR WEAPONS DO ALL THE WORK! YOU CAN'T TAKE A TENTH AS MUCH SHIT AS YOU DISH OUT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH SHIT I HAD TO TAKE?! HUH? EVERY DAY I HAD TO TAKE RYOGA'S SHIT, KUNO'S SHIT, YOUR SHIT AND AKANE'S SHIT, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT FUCKING MALLET OF HERS! YOU NEVER HAD TO TAKE THAT KIND OF SHIT! WELL THE SHIT STOPS HERE!_"

Mousse was quickly learning that going after Ranma had _NOT_ been one of his better ideas. Furthermore, Ranma was right about one thing. The myopic Mousse had nowhere near as much endurance for pain and injury as his foe or Ryoga. He had always let his weapons and equipment do the job for him and take the brunt of an attack. During the course of his bid to beat Ranma and win Shampoo, Mousse had been hit by the Amaguriken Fist, the Hiryu Shoten Ha, an assorted array of kicks and punches and even had a time bomb blow up in his face.

However, Mousse had never taken punishment on a regular basis and not nearly as intense as Ranma had. His rival had been attacked daily and taken more punishment that would have killed a normal person a hundred times over. Blunt objects of various shapes and sizes, (but most were in the form of large mallets), had impacted against Eric in Nerima. He had been subjected to the Neko Ken training, shiatsu attacks, potions, poisons, bokkens, fists, feet, sports equipment, foodstuffs, magical items of various kinds, explosives, scalding water, and most of all, the abuse from being Akane's fiancée. As a result, one might say that Ranma had undergone a kind of endurance training every day that made the Backusai Tenketsu seem like a weekend vacation. With his battle aura now adding to his power, Ranma was now approaching a kind of endurance that may as well makes him invulnerable.

Mousse now knew what a high-speed punching bag felt like and attempted desperately to fight back. He tried to pull out another gun, but Ranma growled in disgust and knocked it out of his injured hands.

"_AGAIN WITH THE GUNS?!_" Eric roared as he sent a hard straight into Mousse's nose. This caused his glasses to be knocked off. It didn't matter that Eric's foe was severely nearsighted as he could only see stars at that moment. "_ARE YOU SO DAMNED PATHETIC THAT YOU'RE USING A COWARD'S WEAPON NOW?! I THOUGHT YOU HAD SOME HONOR, BUT NOW I SEE YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A FUCKING COWARD!_"

_**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!**_

Mousse gets five RBIs. (Ribs Bashed In)

"_NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A COWARD!_"

_**SMASH! WHOMP! CRUNCH!**_

Hidden Weapons Style depends heavily on the use of the hands and Mousse won't be able to use his for at least six months. That is, provided that he survived this day.

"_YOU COULD NEVER BEAT ME IN A FAIR FIGHT, SO YOU ALWAYS HAD TO RESORT TO TRICKS, TRAPS AND ATTACKING ME WHEN I'M DOWN!_" Eric remembered when Mousse had attacked him when he was weak from the Moxibustion Point. Whatever respect he used to have for the male Amazon was long gone.

_**CRACK! WHOP!**_

Mousse gets a very nice concussion.

"_YOU COULD NEVER FACE ME ONE-ON-ONE WITHOUT PULLING SOME STUPID SHIT FIRST!_" Eric also remembered when Mousse tried to use the Spring of Drowned Duck water on him, and when he got Ryoga to gang up on him. Not once did Mousse ever fight with honor. He was nowhere near what was considerered a martial artist! He may think that he's fighting for some just cause, (ie: for Shampoo's love), but to his opponent, Mousse was an even bigger hypocrite than the Pig Boy!

**_POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!_**

Broken nose broken cheek broken jaw several more teeth = Well, you can pretty much imagine that mess!

"_BUT MOST OF ALL, YOU'RE A COWARD, BECAUSE LIKE ALL THE OTHERS, YOU DIDN'T TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL YOUR TROUBLES AND JUST DECIDED TO PIN THEM ON ME!_"

_**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!**_

Add some more internal bleeding to the mix.

"_I NEVER WANTED SHAMPOO, BUT DID YOU EVER LISTEN?! NO! WELL I'VE HAD IT WITH HAVING TO DEAL WITH YOUR MESSED-UP LIFE! CLEAN UP YOUR OWN MESSES!_"

Mousse was coming close to slipping into a coma from his injuries as he went limp and collapsed to the ground. Eric cocked back his fist and was about to pound Mousse some more, but then he realized that his foe wouldn't feel it in his current condition. His clenched hand shook as he began to take slow, measured breaths to calm his rage. His body relaxed as he let his hands fall to his sides. At that moment, he felt a slight breeze suddenly come up behind him. The mark on his forehead glowed and Ranma knew just who it was behind him. He turned around and saw that Balla was standing behind him with an apprehensive look on her face. Beside her was Lisa, who also had a look of shock on her face as she gazed down at the beaten battered form of the one who had attacked Eric with firearms.

"Eric? Are you all right? Is he...?"

Eric took a deep breath and shook his head. "Don't worry Balla. He's still alive, but it would have been better for everyone if I did put him out of _MY_ misery!"

"Please Eric... not again. You're letting all those feelings of hate and frustration take over. I don't want to see you tear yourself up like this." She slowly approached him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Lisa approached him as well with her longbow held at her side. "Eric, just who the _HELL_ is this guy?!"

Eric glared down at the unconscious Mousse and said, "He's one of the main reasons _WHY_ I left Tokyo. Him and a bunch of other assholes kept on attacking me, for one stupid reason or another."

"And no one tried to put a stop to this?" Lisa asked incredulously.

The former heir to the Saotome School shrugged. "Nope. I've tried. Kami-sama only knows how much I tried to get this jerk and others like him to get off my back. Though this is the first time Mousse used guns on me. Most of the time he uses swords, chains, and clubs."

Lisa was becoming even more shocked when she heard this, then she asked, "And how long has this been going on?!"

"A little more than a year and a half now."

"And the authorities haven't put this guy in jail yet?!"

Ranma paused as he thought about it. "Come to think of it, no. I don't think I ever saw the police. Back in Nerima, Mousse never even got asked to show any permits for the weapons he carried or..."

"Well I don't know how things are done in Nerima, Eric, but this is Hiroshima!" Lisa interrupted. "The last time I checked, _GUNS_ are illegal and firing into a crowd is definitely against the law! So is attempted _MURDER_!"

It then occurred to Ranma that he had another solution to his problems. Back in Nerima, the law, along with everyone and everything else, either stood by and did nothing or worked against him. He started to smile as he nodded to his classmate. "You know what, Lisa? You're absolutely right. Guns are illegal." He turned to Balla. "Do you think you can use your powers to heal him enough so he won't die on me?"

"No problem. Though I won't heal everything!" Balla knelt down and extended a hand over Mousse. The tattoo on the back of her hand appeared as she worked her magic to mend all of his critical injuries, but leaving all the non-lethal damage alone. Mousse was going to be in the intensive care ward for several months.

"What are you doing?" Lisa asked as she watched Eric kneel down, take out a large handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it over his right hand.

"I'm going to strip Mousse of whatever guns he's got left." He replied as he began extracting things from all the hidden places where the myopic Amazon stored his things. The bow-wielding girl became amazed at just how much stuff he carried within his robes. With the handkerchief over his fingers, Eric made certain that none of his fingerprints were on Mousse's things as he removed several pieces of military hardware that his rival had never gotten the chance to use. Items such as hand grenades, explosive charges and even a bazooka (don't ask me where he hid that!), were brought into the light.

Eric nodded. With the witnesses at school and all of this evidence, Mousse was going to be sent away for a very _LONG_ time.

Several hours later... Mousse awoke with a splitting headache and found himself lying on a cot in a very small room. When he looked over to one side, he saw that there were steel bars on one side and a man in uniform looking down at him.

"Huh? W-W-Where am I?"

"You're at the 235th Precinct of the Hiroshima Police." The officer replied. "You were brought here by some citizens who are pressing charges against you for assault, attempted murder, firing on innocent bystanders, and having in your possession illegal weapons and firearms. All those witnesses swear that the person you tried to kill acted in self-defense, so no charges have been made against him. You on the other hand are a different story." He gestured to the pile of hand-to-hand weapons and guns that were stacked on the evidence table beside him.

"What are you talking about... owwww!" Pain began shooting into his head as soon as he sat up.

The officer shook his head. "You'd better take it easy, friend. The medic did all he could to patch you up. You're going to need all your strength for your trial."

"Trial? What trial?!"

The officer glared at him. "I don't know how you managed to smuggle in all those weapons into the country, but it's illegal to carry firearms. All those other weapons are to be confiscated and used as evidence as well. There are also several dozen students at a local high school that had witnessed your little rampage today, shouting out the intent to murder one of them and firing at a crowd! We've already been to the area and forensics had collected enough spent bullets and cartridge casings that match with the ones that you had fired from that submachine gun of yours. With all this evidence against you, I'd say that you're going to be heading for prison for a _VERY_ long time."

"I don't need to listen to this!" Mousse sneered as he reached into his robes for a weapon, then became shocked as he found... nothing.

"If you are thinking about escaping or resisting the law, then forget it, pal." The policeman said. "Those people who brought you in insisted that we do a strip search. You wouldn't _BELIEVE_ what we found on you!" He gestured to the table again. "Oh and one more thing."

"What?" Mousse asked, though he began to have that sinking feeling.

"All those charges that I've mentioned so far were small potatoes compared to the main charge."

"What main charge?"

"Attempted first degree murder of one Eric Kobayashi. There were more than thirty witnesses so we may not even have a trial. A charge like that can entitle the death penalty. If you're lucky, you may just get life."

At that point, Mousse realized that he had been sent up the river, without a boat.

"Do you think that he'll be put in prison for this?" Balla asked as she and Eric ate dinner that night.

"Hmpf! Most likely, though there is a chance that he'll permanently deported to China. That's too good for him, but with any luck, he won't ever come back!" Eric said gruffly as he refilled his rice bowl. He then gave Balla a small smile. "I'd like to say thanks again Balla, for helping me back there. A lot of people could have been hurt or killed if you hadn't stopped him."

"Welcome!" Balla said with a smile as she saw a little more of the human side that Ranma kept hidden away. "And I want to say that you showed a lot of restraint by sparing him. I always knew that deep inside, you really are a good person!"

"Yeah, well don't make a big deal about it." Eric said with an off-handed wave. He still had to deal with others from his past showing up and wondered if his alternative solution would work on them. Only time would tell. Hoping to change the subject, he then asked her, "Balla, do you think you can show me more of that Tattoon magic?"

"Sure!" The Tattoon girl said as she felt that she was making more headway with her beloved. Little by little she was chipping away from the tough shell that Eric had erected over himself. It was just a question of time.

Later that night...

Eric was in deep in thought as he looked out at the evening sky from the balcony of his apartment. Balla had already gone to sleep for the night, leaving the formally cursed martial artist alone with his thoughts. He raised a hand and stared absently at the back of it while focusing his power. The mystic tattoo came into view as he let his newfound skills and senses flow with the outside lines of ki and the natural energies of his surroundings.

It was quite a new sensation to him. His life-long training in the martial arts had caused him to develop a heightened sense of awareness, specifically tuned for danger toward himself. However, that left him with less than stellar perceptive abilities toward that which did not threaten him. Now with the Tattoon girl's help, Ranma's sense of his surroundings had reached a new level. He could not only feel that which could threaten him, but also certain impressions and emotions of others, even at great distances. He could sense a couple being intimate some two blocks away. He could feel the impressions of a dog as it rooted about in its backyard. He could even feel the gentle air currents of the breeze as it wafted across long blades of grass in the city park. The teen who was once Ranma Saotome closed his eyes and extended his new senses even further. His aura began to emerge, but this time, it wasn't the angry, intense red ki that he usually emitted. This one was a white color and seemed to give off soothing waves. Faint lines of energy began crisscrossing over the surface of Ranma's forearms. As the Tattoon Priestess had told him, his secondary tattoos would form by themselves as his mastery over the tribal magic increased.

Just as Ranma was about to achieve a state of perfect harmony and serenity, his brow suddenly furrowed and his aura began to darken. Balla's beloved had just sensed the presence of certain people in Hiroshima, who happened to be at a hotel some thirty blocks away. He also sensed the presence of others. Most of which, he had come to hate.

One presence was extremely aged and was darting back and forth between houses, leaping at their balconies and causing others to become very angry.

_Happosai. That freak must be on one of his panty raids again._

Then he sensed another who was just as old and radiated more control. Nearby was another less focused presence.

_Hmmm, looks like Shampoo and that old ghoul are here too. Figures, since I just ran into Mousse._

Then there were two presences that filled him with disgust.

_Kuno and that psychotic sister of his! Things just couldn't get any worse, now could they?_

He then sensed the presence of someone that he had thought to be a friend. His expression became saddened.

_Uccha... no, Ukyo. She's here too. Damn! They're all here!_

At that point, Eric dropped his concentration and let his tattoos fade back into his skin. He took a deep sigh and shook his head sadly.

_I guess that it was just wishful thinking that I'd be able to get away from all that shit in Nerima. It looks like I'm going to have to deal with them after all! And if I'm right, my next headache is going to be Nabiki. She's probably going to try to blackmail me into going back. Well, I can do something about that!_

Ranma went back into his apartment and walked over to the closet where he stored his backpack. He then opened up a side pocket of his pack and began taking out a few things that he had stolen, (in his words, liberated), from Nabiki's room before he had abandoned the Tendos and his father. These items included all the hardcopy files that mercenary had on him, such as the paper files, the computer disks and photos of him in both his male and female form. The latter, in which she'd sell to Kuno or any of the other perverts at Furinkan. However, these were not the only things that he had taken. He had also brought along a few key things that he thought would be good insurance, if... no, _WHEN_ Nabiki or any of the others pursued him.

All he had to do now, was to face them.

At the hotel...

"I still don't know why we're doing this!" Akane griped as she and her family ate dinner. "We're better off without that jerk! We shouldn't even be here! Good riddance I say!"

"Oh come on now, Akane! You're not fooling anyone." Nabiki teased. "We all know how much you want Ranma back."

"_I DO NOT!_" Akane half-screamed her denial.

Soun and Genma, of course took this the wrong way.

"Ah, it must be love, for my little girl to be so intense!" Soun sighed.

"Yes, a perfect match!" Genma agreed as he wolfed down his food. "Perhaps this separation was a blessing in disguise! They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder!"

"Well said Saotome! When they are reunited, then we shall hold the wedding right away! True love should not be denied!"

Akane then stood up and slammed her hands onto the table. "_I DO NOT LOVE HIM! I HATE HIM! I'M GLAD THAT HE'S GONE! HE WAS NOTHING BUT TROUBLE SINCE HE CAME TO OUR HOME! AND I SHOULD HAVE MY HEAD EXAMINED FOR EVEN COMING TO HIROSHIMA!_"

She then stomped toward her room, leaving her half-finished dinner on the table. However, it was soon empty as Genma followed one of the tenants of his training, which was to never let free food go to waste.

After dinner, as Kasumi good-naturedly cleared the table, Nabiki sat on her bed in deep contemplation. Ranma was here in Hiroshima. She could feel it in her bones. Her primary source of income would soon be under her thumb again and her bank account would be out of its slump and climbing.

Just what was he thinking when he left? How could he do that to her? She had a sweet setup going and he just had to ruin it by saying no and making a decision for himself. Well, his sudden burst of independence was going to be short-lived after she found him. He had cost her a lot of money since he left the Tendo home several months ago. He had taken nearly every piece of information that she had on him when he departed. She had already sold the last few photos of him in his cursed form. Images in which she had sold to Kuno at inflated prices. The perverted wannabe samurai had been hungering for more images of his beloved pig-tailed goddess and was determined to free her from the clutches of the demon-sorcerer Ranma. Once Ranma had returned to Nerima, Nabiki was planning on doing a full layout shoot with his cursed form, which would net her a pretty profit and put her through college. Ranma's feelings about it were of no consequence.

The pig-tailed martial artist had also ruined a couple of other lucrative ventures when he had left. One of which were the betting pools. The middle Tendo daughter had been profiting off odds on his fights with his rivals or any other fighter that came to Tokyo. The second business was the most important. They were secrets about Ranma. Secrets that she had ferreted out of him during his stay at her home. Secrets that others would pay for. Secrets that Ranma paid her on a regular basis not to reveal. Though he had taken all the hardcopies and data disks that she had on him in her room, her master files were still in her head, along with many others at school. She also had some back-ups hidden in secret caches at Furinkan, though many of them had been raided by the school's Computer Club. As a result, a lot of people were no longer under her control. However, she considered it all a minor setback and Ranma's return would recoup what she had lost.

Oh yes, Ranma won't be able to enjoy his freedom for very much longer once she caught up to him. She owned him, and he was still up to his neck in debt. He couldn't just walk away. He didn't have what it takes to escape her. He was just an immature, naive, egotistical jock. His sudden act of intelligence in breaking into her room, stealing her files and covering his tracks was just a one-time fluke. Ranma was the eternal sap. He couldn't stand to see girls cry and didn't fight them. His taking all of Akane's abuse and not retaliating was proof of that. He didn't have any class or control and would leap at any chance to a cure for his curse. And Ranma becoming cured would mean a sudden drop in her business affairs. He had the perpetual foot-in-mouth disease and it was so easy to manipulate him.

She expected some resistance, but she was certain that Ranma would bend to her whim, as he always did. With Akane, Soun and Genma bearing down on him, the dope was certain to collapse. And if everything else failed, she could always play her trump card. His overdeveloped sense of honor. That was the chink in his armor. He may complain and shout, but when it came to honor, he would do what was necessary, even if he hated it. The pledge to unite the families and the overwhelming debts that he owed her. It will be a stain on his honor if he were to turn his back on them.

Yes, Ranma would return to the Tendo Dojo. Willingly or not, he would return. The mercenary Tendo daughter would make certain of that.

Little did she know that Ranma was no longer the same person that she nor anyone else was expecting.

Ranma nodded as he put away all the files after committing them to memory. Nabiki had learned a lot of his secrets during his stay at the Tendo home, but when he left, he had taken many of hers. He had taken as many of the negatives of the photos of her private files as he could, while stealing the ones that concerned him.

Akane's sister had a _LOT_ of skeletons in her closet. Not only did she have extensive information about him, but she also had data on more than half of Furinkan's student population, all the teaching staff and several important people of Nerima's community. From those photos, he had learned many things about Nabiki that he never knew before. If she were to threaten to expose his secrets, he could counter with hers. Turnabout was fair after all.

Nabiki would soon learn that Eric wasn't going to be pushed around by nobody!

The next morning...

"Please?"

"No."

"Come on, Eric."

"I said no!"

"Why not?"

"No, I'm not going!"

"Please?"

"_NO!_"

"Pretty please?"

"_NO, NO, AND NO!_"

"Please, please, please? I _REALLY_ want to go and I _REALLY_ want you to be there with me! It'll be fun!"

"Balla, after all that's happened, I really don't think that going to the annual festival that's coming up would be a good idea!"

"Oh please, Eric! I've never been to one before, and it sounds exciting! And it might be just the thing to get your mind off your problems for a while."

"And it's also just asking for trouble! Ryoga and Mousse found me and look what happened! What if the others were to see me there?"

"Eric, please." Balla clasped her hands together and held them out in front. Her eyes glistened with a certain sparkle as she pleaded with him. "Don't shut yourself out from me and everyone else. It's not good for you. I want to see you smile and be happy! I want to see you enjoy what life has to offer! Don't let your past consume you."

Ranma sighed as he turned his back to her, leaned against the wall and stared out the window at the rising sun. "Fun. Now there's something that I don't get to have much."

"Please Eric. It would mean a lot to me if you'd take me to this festival. I've heard so much about it from everyone at school. Everyone in class is going to be there."

"I don't know, Balla. If I go out, then those people that I told you about are bound to find me. I know that I have to face them sooner or later, though I'd much rather face them later."

"Don't worry about it."

"What?" Ranma turned to see Balla take a determined look on her face as she held up a fist.

She focused her power and let the tattoo appear. "I won't let any of those people come near you. Remember, I'm on _YOUR_ side!"

The former fiancé of Akane couldn't help but show a slight smile. He still couldn't get over the fact that this girl was behind him. She showed a kind of devotion that was unfamiliar to him. Unlike Shampoo's deviousness, Akane's abuse or Ukyo's possessiveness, Balla showed sincere loyalty and was honest with how she felt about him. She never asked for anything and gave him space when he needed it. Why shouldn't he reward her by taking her out? It wasn't as if it was a real date. It was just... two people going out together for a night of enjoyment, that's all. And it had been a long time since his departure from Nerima, that he had gone out for fun.

Even though he felt that he was making a big mistake, that small part of him that still clung to his old self came out as he couldn't refuse Balla's request. "Oh... all right, Balla. Tomorrow night, but just for a couple of hours, okay?"

"_YAAAAAAAAAAYYY! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!_" The Tattoon girl immediately embraced her beloved and gushed out how happy she was. "I promise you that this will be fun! This will be a night that you won't forget!"

Ranma simple stood there with a sigh and he put his hands on Balla's waist. _I have a feeling that I won't be forgetting tomorrow night for a long time._

At her own home, Lisa was wondering how she would approach Eric today and ask him out to the festival. Draped over a chair was the brand new kimono that she planned to wear tomorrow night.

At her family's home, Nodoka was also wondering what she would wear to the festival. She was planning to go with her sister and wondered if Eric would be there.

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Well, that takes care of Chapter 6 of Tattoon Ranma. Now for those of you who are saying that I made Nabiki appear to be the money-grubbing mercenary of the original series, all I can say is that in this story she is! My stories can either have altered or canon personalities, to suit the mood. Besides, in this fic, Ranma has changed because of those people, so having them written as something other than original would defeat the purpose of his leaving, now wouldn't it? I like to experiment with mixes of both changed and unchanged personalities of the cast. In Fighting Blind and Weapon Ranma, Shampoo is more understanding and human, while in Cat Fist Fury and Tattoon Ranma, she's like the canon. Same thing goes for Ukyo, Kasumi, Nabiki and so on. I don't care much for Genma, Ryoga, Mousse and especially Akane, since to me, they don't have much in terms of redeeming qualities. But I guess that's just being biased.

Next chapter, Balla and Eric go on their first date, (though Eric will flatly deny that it is a date). We're certainly going to have more mayhem and a few more surprises as well as more development in their relationship. See you then!


	7. Chapter 7: I'm Not Going Back!

**Tattoon Ranma**

Disclaimer: What are you looking at me for?!

: Thoughts

**Chapter 7**

I'm Not Going Back!

Eric shook his head as he waited for Balla to emerge from the bedroom. As he sat on the couch, dressed in a festive kimono, he wondered just _ WHAT_ was he doing.

_I **MUST** have been out of my mind to have agreed to this!_ The one who used to be Ranma Saotome shook his head. _First Ryoga, then Mousse... and I already sensed Ukyo, Shampoo and that... **BITCH**, Akane as well as everyone else last night. Just what was I thinking?! They're **BOUND** to see me if I go out to the festival tonight! It was bad enough with Lisa this morning..._

Flashback to that morning at school...

"Eric! Eric!"

"Yeah, what do you want, Lisa?" Ranma replied as he turned around to face her.

The bow-wielding class president took a deep breath and said to him, "Eric...? I mean... how have you been since... that nut with the guns...?"

Ranma waved it off and said nonchalantly. "I'm okay. He wasn't someone that I didn't know how to handle before. From what I heard, he's either going to be spending a lot of time in Japan or he's not going to be in the country for much longer."

Lisa nodded in agreement. It was either prison or deportation for Mousse. "Well I knew that he wasn't going to get off easy after what happened yesterday. Carrying guns and shooting at crowds is definitely against the law."

The martial artist shrugged. "So's attempted murder. So what? It's not like I haven't been in _THAT_ situation before."

"Uh, yeah... right." Lisa had a bit of a sweatdrop on the back of her head, then bolstered her courage. "In any case, Eric... there's... something that I wanted to ask you." She began to twiddle her index fingers absent-mindedly.

"Yeah, what? Make it quick. I don't want to be late for my next class." _Not that I care, but I don't feel like holding up buckets._

"Well... I mean, you... do know that tonight's going to be annual festival in town and..."

"And what?"

"And well... I was... wondering... if... you know, ah... what I mean..."

At that moment, a bouncy blonde came up and glomped onto Eric in her usual perky way. "Hi Eric!"

"Arrgh! How many times have I told you not to do that?!" Eric growled as he tried to push her off.

Balla good-naturedly released her hold and smiled at him. "I'm so excited about tonight's festival and I wanted to know when we're going."

The made Lisa's heart suddenly jam in her throat when she heard this. "You... mean... she's already asked you...?" She was trying hard not to let her tears flow from her eyes.

Eric frantically waved his hands and said in denial, "Hey! Don't get the wrong idea! It's not like we're on a date or nuthin'! It's just that it's her first festival here and..."

Lisa however, had seen and heard enough as she turned and started to walk away. "I... understand... I hope that you two will have fun tonight..."

Balla saw the sadness in Lisa's heart, and though Lisa was her rival for Eric's affections, Balla still wanted to be friends with her. She then called out to the bow girl. "Lisa! Why don't you come with us? It'll be fun!"

"Huh?" Lisa turned back to them in surprise.

"Eric and I wouldn't mind! We'll make it a threesome!"

Eric winced at Balla's choice of words as he tried to protest, but he was a little slow with getting his mouth to work.

"You mean it? You wouldn't... mind?" Lisa asked.

"No problem! We'd love to have you with us. Isn't that right Eric?"

"Well, I... don't... I mean I wouldn't mind... that is, I.... uh..."

"Then it's settled! We'll pick you up at seven, okay?"

"Uh... sure, all right." Lisa replied as she turned to head to her next class. Though it meant sharing Eric with the Tattoon Girl, at least it was better than not going at all.

Back in the hallway, Eric could only stand in disbelief as he felt a foreboding sense of deja vu.

End of Flashback...

_Didn't I go through that kind of situation before?! Now I'm stuck with **TWO** girls instead of one! Why did I even agree to this?!_

It was at that moment that Balla stepped out from the bedroom that Eric got his answer.

The Tattoon High Priestess looked radiant in her emerald green kimono with flaring sleeves. The outfit wasn't as revealing as her tribal wear, but it still flattered her figure and emphasized her beauty. Her hair was done up in its usual topknot style with braided sideburns, but she was now sporting a decorative, butterfly hairpin. Her slim waist was tied up with her red sash and she had a pair of sandals on her slender feet. In her hand was a collapsible fan to wave in the warm, evening heat.

"Well, Eric? What do you think?" She did a little turn to display the entire ensemble.

Eric found himself speechless for a long time before finally replying. "Balla... you look... great!"

"You really think so?" Balla asked eagerly.

The martial artist could only stand up and shrug his shoulders while nodding. When the girl smiled at him, Ranma felt a funny feeling in his chest and a random thought crossed his mind. _Man... she's even cuter than Ukyo, Shampoo and Akane put together..._ He then blinked in confusion and mentally chided himself. **_WHAT AM I THINKING?! SHE'S JUST A GIRL, THAT'S ALL! AND THIS ISN'T A DATE!_**

It was then that Balla sided up to him and took his arm. "Let's get going Eric! We have to pick up Lisa!"

"Er... yeah, right." Ranma then let himself be led out the door of the apartment and down the stairs.

Lisa paced about in the living room of her house, dressed in her new dark blue and white kimono. Her grandfather chuckled a bit as he watched his relative nervously wring her hands as she continued to wear a hole in the floor.

"Is little Lisa having first date jitters?" The old man said slyly.

"Oh will you please cut that out, grandpa?! I've got enough to worry about!"

Her grandfather smirked, then let off a guffaw. At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Lisa stiffened up as soon as she heard it. She then took a deep breath, walked to the front door and opened it.

Some time later...

"This is so exciting!" Balla exclaimed as she took in every sight and sound, as she, Lisa and Eric walked through the aisles of games, shops and displays. She clung to Ranma's right arm while Lisa held onto his left. Sandwiched between the two girls, Ranma was in obvious discomfort and gave scowls to anyone who looked at them. Many of the male spectators were jealous that one guy could be lucky to be taking two girls out at once.

"Ooh! What's that, Eric?" Ball a asked as she pointed to a booth.

Eric turned around and the sight brought back some bittersweet memories. It was the traditional fishing game in which one had to scoop up a goldfish with a paper hoop. He remembered back to a time in which he had to learn the Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire Technique. He ended up catching piranha with his bare hands since that old ghoul had put the Full Body Cat's Tongue pressure point on him. He couldn't get near anything hot until he got that Phoenix Pill. And that had been a problem when he had his curse. Though he was grateful to that old crone for teaching him that skill, he still harbored very angry feelings toward her for what she and her great-granddaughter had put him through. And when he encountered them again, (which would be inevitable)... all bets were off.

Balla saw that Eric was becoming moody again and was determined to get him to lighten up. This was supposed to be a time of forgetting one's problems and to enjoy oneself. She began tugging on his arm and leading him toward the fishing game. "Come on Eric! Let's go see!"

The martial artist sighed as he let himself be dragged toward the booth. As they neared it, they saw a small, girl trying her best to catch one of the goldfish. She let out a sad 'aaawwww' when yet another of the fish broke through the hoop and plopped back into the tank.

"Almost got it that time." The booth manager said. "You want to give it another go?"

The little girl shook her head sadly as she replied. "I can't. I'm all out of money! And I really wanted one!" Tears began to form in her eyes as Ranma and his two companions stood behind her.

"What are you supposed to do in this game?" Balla asked.

"You use that paper hoop to catch the goldfish." Lisa explained. "Good luck though. Those things couldn't even strain tea leaves."

As the girl began to cry, Ranma felt a small pang of his old self come to the surface. He also felt a sense of deja vu as he remembered back to that time in which he helped another child in just such a situation. He didn't _WANT_ to get involved, especially with females, no matter what age they were! They were nothing but trouble! However... as he saw the tears roll down the little girl's cheek...

_Why me?_

Without saying a word, he crouched down and firmly nudged the child to one side. He then picked up a paper hoop and a small bowl.

"Eric?" Balla said tentatively as she saw the look in her beloved's eyes. Lisa also gazed upon him and noticed the determination in his eyes, though the rest of his face remained like cold stone.

Then it happened.

Before the startled eyes of the booth manager and the little girl, not to mention Balla and Lisa, Ranma's right arm began to blur over the tank of water. In mere heartbeats, the goldfish were quickly picked up and placed inside bowls of water, as Ranma used his Chestnut Technique to gather them up before they could break through the hoop. He continually changed bowls as he scooped up the fish. In ten seconds, he had more than a dozen bowls beside him, with three or four fish swimming in each of them. In twenty seconds, the tank was empty as the last fish was caught and deposited.

"_WOW! THAT WAS NEAT!_" The girl chirped as she saw all those fish.

The booth manager's jaw dropped as Eric stood up and addressed him.

"Well, since I caught them all, that means they're free, right?"

The man could only nod wordlessly as he was still in a state of shock. He had been put out of business in half a minute!

Luckily, Ranma had no intention of keeping the fish as he looked down at the girl. "So... what are you waiting for? Pick a bowl." He said gruffly.

"Me?" The girl said as she pointed to herself.

"Well?" Ranma said more forcefully.

The child looked down and selected a container that was near the center of the group. It contained three fish that were each colored differently. The sullen martial artist nodded as he picked it up and handed it to the booth manager. "Bag it up for her and you can dump the rest back into the tank."

Without another word, Ranma turned away and began walking off. Lisa and Balla stood in shock for another minute before they regained their senses and went after him.

"Eric! Wait up!"

The girl became all smiles as she was handed a small plastic bag of water with the three fish. She held up her gift and then waved to the nice man.

"_THANK YOU MISTER! YOU'RE REALLY NICE!_"

"_I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU GOT THAT IDEA! I AM NOT A NICE GUY!_" Eric denied as he had been teased by Balla and Lisa for the last five minutes.

"I know you better! It was really sweet of you to have helped out that little girl." Balla said as she snuggled closer to him. "You're just a big softie!"

"Eric, you really surprised me back there." Lisa added. "How did you do that?"

"Just a little trick I picked up back in Tokyo." Ranma said with nonchalance. "It's no big deal." He then gave Balla a bit of a scowl. "And I didn't do it because I felt sorry for the kid. She would have started bawling her head off and drive me nuts with all that crying. That would have been really annoying."

Balla smiled as she shook her head. She wasn't fooled for a second. She had always known that deep down, Eric really was a good person and slowly, but surely, she was seeing more of his tender side.

A little while later...

_**THUNK!**_

The crowds that had gathered around the booth applauded after Ranma had nailed his fiftieth bulls eye and knocked the target back.

"You've got really good aim!" Lisa remarked as Ranma cocked back his arm and threw the ball in a pitch that would have made Nolan Ryan green with envy. "Did you ever think about trying out for the baseball team?"

Ranma said nothing as he hurled another three balls into the target with such force that they left deep impressions into the surface.

"Wow!" Balla clapped her hands with glee as looked down at the pile of prizes that Ranma had accumulated. So far, he had won more than a dozen skill games, which included shooting, throwing, balance and strength. This particular festival had some imported American carnival games. He had astounded the people at the classic, Test-Your-Strength challenge. When the booth manager had offered him the wooden mallet, it took all of Eric's control not to break the instrument over the man's head. He swatted it aside and then slammed a fist onto the wooden plank. The little lead weight shot up the wire like a rocket and nearly knocked the bell off the post.

_**CLANG!**_

Balla began wondering what they were going to do with all the stuffed animals and trinkets that Eric had won. Sure they were cute, but they were going to take up too much space in their tiny apartment. Many of the children that were in the crowds looked longingly at the playthings.

Fortunately, Ranma had no intention of keeping them. After knocking off the last target in the ball toss game, he was awarded a cute stuffed pig. He frowned at the prize as he was reminded of a certain martial artist who was currently in traction. He looked down and saw a little girl looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. Without a word, he roughly shoved the toy into her arms and walked away.

"Eric! What about all your prizes?" Balla called after him.

"I don't want 'em! Do what you want with 'em! Give 'em to those kids for all I care!"

Balla looked down and decided to just take one souvenir. She selected a charming little stuffed dolphin and then went after him. "Wait up!"

Lisa also decided to take just one prize and chose a pretty bracelet. Before joining her friends, she addressed the kids and said, "You can all have the rest!"

The children gleefully descended on their treasures and once they each had at least one toy, they waved back at the one who had won them.

"That was really nice of you to give those kids your prizes." Lisa commented.

"Ah, it's not that I wanted them anyway." Ranma replied with nonchalance. "Besides, what would I do with a bunch of stupid toys anyway?"

"Oh come on, Eric! Lighten up! I agree with Lisa. That was really sweet of you. "She nuzzled her dolphin and then snuggled up closer to her beau. Not wanting to be outdone, her rival also moved closer.

This of course, made Ranma extremely uncomfortable, but unlike the times he had in Nerima, he found that this wasn't as bad as it was then. In Nerima, Shampoo and Ukyo would squish him like a marshmallow in a nutcracker while Akane would bash him over the head, accusing him of being a pervert. Balla and Lisa were being civil to each other, at least in public. So far, no fights had broken out and there wasn't anyone after his head. To anyone who was watching, he was just an ordinary guy enjoying a night at a festival with two friends.

Maybe... just maybe, he could enjoy himself... at least for tonight.

Meanwhile, in another area of the festival...

"_GIVE ME ANOTHER!_"

Nabiki and Kasumi both watched as their younger sister angrily try to scoop up the fish and failed each time. She had already gone through thirty hoops and at the rate she was going, she'd be out of money in less than a minute. She wasn't even doing it right. With every failure, she would hit the water with increasing force, breaking the hoops and scaring the fish.

"Give it up, Akane. You're such a klutz." Nabiki said. "You're never going to catch them that way. The only person who could catch them was Ranma."

"Don't say that name!" Akane said angrily as the fish once again scattered when her hoop hit the water. "_I CAN DO THIS! I DON'T NEED HIS HELP! I CAN DO THIS BETTER THAN HIM!_"

At this point, many people were crowding around the booth after hearing Akane's repeated shouts and began watching.

Kasumi could only sigh and shake her head as she watched her youngest sibling get more frustrated by the minute, plus drawing attention to herself with her tantrums. She knew that things had gotten hard for her since Ranma left the Tendo home. The boys at school had been giving her a hard time every morning with their fight-for-the-right-to-date-her routine and Kuno becoming even more irritating. She would always come home shouting to the heavens and cursed the day that she ever met Ranma, and blamed all of her past, present and future woes on him. It was all his fault, it always was!

It was at that moment that Kasumi remembered back to when the last time she saw Ranma...

Flashback...

Ranma: I've had it! I've had it with people always blaming me for things that go wrong! No one ever listened to me! I didn't ask for this engagement. _GIRLS ARE NOTHING BUT TROUBLE! I QUIT! DO YOU HEAR ME? I QUIT!_

End of Flashback...

Kasumi had never seen Ranma so upset. Oh he would blow his top every now and then, (nowhere near as many times as Akane, of course), but he'd usually cool off after a while and then forget about whatever made him angry in the first place. She couldn't fathom as to what got him so upset to actually leave. After all the things he had endured since coming to the Tendo home, what could have driven him to abandon his life in Nerima?

Though Kasumi was one of the most well-meaning people in the world, she wasn't perfect. She did have her flaws, and there were two that indirectly made Ranma leave the Tendos and his father. Her first flaw was her... tendency to see only the good things about people and ignore all the bad things. Secondly, she was too optimistic. It was one thing to keep ones hopes up, but it was another thing to accept reality when it was undeniable.

However, Lady Fate (Kismet to her friends), would once again play a hand as Kasumi absently looked to one side and saw someone who looked familiar.

He was a sullen-looking fellow with raven hair that was cropped short. He wore a festival kimono, but he did not seem to be enjoying himself. He was slightly slouched and scowling as two attractive girls walked beside him, each holding onto one of his arms. Kasumi then noticed that he had some kind of cross-shaped scar on his forehead. However, when he turned his head in response to Akane's voice, her eyes widened as she saw his full face.

Look over there Eric." Balla pointed to another booth. "There's another one of those fish-catching games."

"Big deal." Eric said gruffly.

"Wow. There seems to be a crowd drawing over there." Lisa commented. "Listen. Sounds like the person who's playing isn't doing so well."

"Well, it ain't exactly easy. Heh. I remember one person who was so much of a klutz that..."

"_GIVE ME ANOTHER!_"

Ranma's blood went cold as soon as he heard that voice. Slowly, but surely, he turned around and saw... Kasumi?

For one brief moment that seemed to last an eternity, their eyes met. Then... Eric grabbed both of the girls' hands and bolted... fast!

"Eric! Where are you going?!" Lisa cried out as they were dragged away from the area at high speed.

Ranma neither answered nor looked back as he wanted to make certain that they were as far away from _THOSE_ people as possible!

"I'm telling you! I saw Ranma!"

"Where?" Nabiki asked anxiously as she, Akane and Kasumi ran through the crowds in search of Akane's former fiance.

"Who cares!" Akane said with utter contempt. "We don't need that jerk!"

Kasumi looked about as she tried to pick out Ranma's face from the crowds, but the area was thick with people and bright lights, which made it easy for one person to blend into the background. She and her sisters stopped for a moment, then the eldest Tendo daughter decided that they should split up. Akane immediately refused to take part in the search, but her vote was vetoed as Nabiki grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off in one direction. At first, she protested, but when her older sibling whispered something in her ear, Akane soon followed Nabiki, though very reluctantly. Kasumi nodded as she went off in the opposite direction.

"Eric, what's wrong?" Lisa asked as she, Balla, and Ranma hid behind a booth. She had never seen him run from anyone, but he bolted like a wild colt as soon as he looked at those girls who were at that fishing game booth. What was going on?

Eric scowled as he peered around the corner and watched the Tendo sisters spilt up to search for him. It wasn't that he couldn't beat all three girls; with Akane, he wouldn't have any problems with hitting her and he owed Nabiki big time for all the blackmailing and photo ops. As for Kasumi, well he didn't really have anything against her, but if she and her sisters were here, that meant that their father and Genma were close by. And that could only lead to trouble.

**_DAMN! I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE!_**

"Eric?" Balla asked with some uneasiness in her voice. She saw the look on his face and the slight battle aura that was beginning to emerge. She hoped that this wouldn't explode into another bloodbath. Ryoga would not be out of the hospital for at least six months and Mousse was going to prison or back to China in disgrace.

"They're here." The sullen martial artist growled.

"Who's here?" Lisa asked as she looked around the corner. All she could see were throngs of people. In the distance, she saw a young women dash of in one direction, and two younger girls head off in another.

It was then that Balla realized who Eric was speaking about. "It's... them, right? The... Tendos?"

Ranma nodded slightly as he watched Kasumi and her sisters disappear into the crowds. He turned back and took a long, sad sigh. "I should have known that they'd turn up sooner of later. Shit! I guess it was too much to ask for just one fucking night without having to worry about this crap!"

"What should we do?" Balla asked.

"What are two talking about? Who are these Tendo people?" Lisa inquired.

"They're bad people!" Balla replied. "They're as bad as that Mousse person!"

"You mean that nut with the guns?!" The bow girl still got the shivers thinking about how close he had come to mowing down innocent bystanders, just to kill Ranma.

"The enemies of my husband are my enemies as well!"

Ranma held up a hand. "Well, most of them are people that I wouldn't want to see again, but they're are a couple that aren't _THAT_ bad. One of those people is here tonight, and I think it's time that I settled a few things." He began considering his options, then asked the Tattoon girl, "Balla... do you think you can use those powers of yours to keep Akane and Nabiki away from that booth over there? I need to have a private talk with Kasumi." He pointed to a stand that was serving ramen and tea.

The High Priestess considered her beloved for a moment and then nodded. "Which ones are Akane and Nabiki?"

Ranma glanced back toward the crowds, then pointed them out. "Those two girls over there. Can you lead them away from that booth?"

"No problem." She held up a hand and let the mystic tattoo appear. She then grasped Lisa by the arm. "Come on Lisa!"

"Hold on Balla!" The bow girl cried out as she found herself being dragged off.

As his two comapanions went off to lead Akane and her sister away, the former Saotome sat down at the booth and ordered some ramen with a cup of tea. As he ate quietly, he began extending his Tattoon senses outward. The mark on his forehead glowed slightly as he psychically touched the auras of everyone present. He mentally sorted out each of the minds that he touched and was amazed at how acute his awareness to the environment had become. All that instruction in how to use his Tattoon powers was paying off. When he came into contact with Kasumi's essence, he began emitting a kind of energy which compelled the eldest daughter of Soun Tendo turn her head and gave her an urge to walk in his direction.

Kasumi didn't know why she suddenly had the urge to walk back to the place where she and her sisters had split up. In a few minutes, she was right back where sheb had started from. Then she looked around and saw Ranma, sitting at a noodle stand and sipping tea. She looked about for her sisters, but saw no sign of them. Unknown to her, Balla was purposely leading Akane and Nabiki away from the area with a few simple illusions, making the girls think that they were somewhere else. By planting images in their mind, the two Tendo girls thought they had caught glimpses of Ranma and moved even further away from the area.

Back near the ramen booth, Kasumi decided that she couldn't go look for her sisters. This would be her one and only chance to speak with Ranma and perhaps convince him to return to Nerima. The honor of her family was at stake and she knew that Ranma and Akane were meant for each other... right?

She bolstered up her courage and began walking toward him. When she neared him, he was just downing the soup in his bowl. Just as she was about to speak, Ranma put down the bowl, wiped his mouth with a napkin and spoke without turning his head.

"I was wondering when you would get here... Kasumi."

The eldest Tendo daughter stiffened when she heard the hard edge in his voice. That was Ranma all right, but he seemed so... sullen and moody, far more so than she remembered.

"Well? Are you going to sit down?" He gestured to an empty stool.

The daughter of Soun Tendo took a deep breath before nodding and sat down. She then tried her most friendliest smile and said, "It's good to see you again, Ranma. I..."

"Save it." Eric said, cutting her off. "I'm not interested in what you or anyone else from Tokyo have to say. But you're going to listen to every word that I have to say. I'll tell you right off... I'm _NOT_ going back... _EVER_! If that's the reason why you and the others came; to try and convince me to return, then you wasted your time. In any case, I gave up the Soatome name, so it doesn't matter now."

"What?"

"The name's Eric Kobayashi. Got it?"

"But, Ranma..."

"_DON'T_... call me Ranma. Understand?"

"But..."

The x-scarred martial artist gave Kasumi a low and very dangerous growl, which surprised the eldest Tendo daughter. Ranma had never even considered raising his voice to her before, and she was unused to people being angry with her. However, she knew that she was starting to tread on dangerous ground and decided to humor him... for now.

A few minutes before, close by...

"It's been a long time since we've been together, Nodoka."

"Yes." Nodoka agreed as she and her sister Atsuko walked together. Both were dressed in festive kimonos. The two were very similar in appearance, but Nodoka's sister had hair that went past her shoulders and she was about two inches taller. Her eyes were green instead of gray-blue and her face was more angular.

"By the way, sister. Have you heard from your son and ... husband lately?" The elder Kobayashi sibling's eyes narrowed a bit as she thought about the weasel that Nodoka had married. Like all the members of her family, they had disapproved of Genma Saotome, but Nodoka seemed blind to the man's faults.

What kind of man leaves his wife and takes away their only child for some training journey without so much as a single visit or phone call for over a decade? Nodoka had maintained that she had been receiving letters regularly, stating that her son was fine, but Atsuko had her doubts. After all, Genma had not a single yen to his name when he and her sister married and Atsuko had suspected that he only wed Nodoka because she belonged to a prominant and wealthy family. However, their father had disowned Nodoka and both she and her husband had received nothing. Though the Kobayashi patriarch refused to see his second daughter, Atasuko had maintained a steady relationship with her sibling and even set up a secret trust fund for her, which amounted to a huge fortune. Genma knew nothing of it, which Nodoka's sister had intended.

"Genma and Ranma are doing fine." Nodoka said as they unknowingly neared the place where Eric was having it out with Kasumi.

Atsuko shook her head. "That's what you always say, but what proof do you have? You haven't seen Genma or Ranma in over ten years! You probably wouldn't recognize your son if you met him now."

"I'm certain that he has grown into a fine young man." Nodoka said with confidence. "After all, Genma did promise to make him a man among men. Otherwise, I never would have agreed to let him take Ranma on that training journey."

Nodoka's sister sighed and shook her head. "Sister, you have some very odd notions. Why you married that idiot against father and everyone else's wishes is beyond me."

"Maybe when you fall in love, then you will understand."

"Hmpf! Love is one thing, but being blind to certain truths is another. You haven't seen your family in over ten years! And what are you talking about Genma promising to make Ranma a man among men?"

"Well, I wanted my son to grow up into a man that any mother would be proud of. I'm certain that Genma will do a good job."

Atsuko shudered at the thought of her nephew growing up to be another Genma. "And exactly what is YOUR idea of a man among men?"

When Nodoka explained to her sister of her idea of a man among men, Atsuko began to wonder if her sibling had all of her oars in the water. Peeping? Petty theft? Most of the traits in which her sister considered as manly had no real place in the world, by modern standards, and a few didn't make any sense at all. She was very shocked when she was told of the Seppuku Pledge. Genma would be idiotic enough to sign away his only child's life. But for Nodoka to agree to it?! With her sister's skewed ideals of what was considered as manliness, Atsuko began mentally praying to Kami-sama that her nephew would not turn out to be anything like Genma.

Little did she know that the Almighty had already granted that wish.

"Ah, if Ranma were to turn out to be half as manly as Eric, then I would be content." Nodoka said with a bit of longing.

"Who?"

"He's a waiter that serves at my favorite coffee shop. His name is Eric Kobayashi."

"Kobayashi? Is he part of our family?"

"No, he's not. Kobayashi is a very common name. I think he told me once that he was part-American. Oh, you should meet with him! He's a perfect example of a man among men!"

"Oh really?"

"Oh yes! He's even got a girlfriend and..." It was then that she noticed a certain someone sitting at a nearby ramen booth. "Oh look! There he is! And that might be his girlfriend!"

As they came toward the booth, they saw a girl with long, light brown hair sit down beside Eric. They started listening in on them just after he had told Kasumi not to call him Ranma, unaware that he was in fact Nodoka's son.

Kasumi took a deep breath. "All right... Eric. But I don't understand. Why are you...?"

Ranma scowled at Akane and Nabiki's sister and said with sarcasm, "Why? After all the _SHIT_ that I was put through for a year and a half, you've got some _NERVE_ to ask me why."

The eldest Tendo daughter was caught off guard by the swearing and anger. "But..."

"I don't give a _DAMN_ as to what you, your father, my father or that _BITCH_ you call a sister want to say! As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't mean _SHIT_ to me!"

Kasumi was shocked to hear such profanity and open hostility from someone whom she thought was a gentle person inside. Ranma had changed. That much was certain.

"You don't really mean..."

"Oh yes I do! Mark my words... _I MEAN IT!_ I want _NOTHING_ to do with your family... or mine." He started thinking dark thoughts about Genma before continuing on. "As far as I'm concerned, the further away I am from them, the better off I'll be. I especially don't want be near that _BITCH_ Akane!"

That statement shocked Kasumi to the core. Ranma had insulted Akane in the past, but never with this kind of intensity. "You really don't mean that! Things can still work out. Akane really is a good girl and she cares..."

"_STOP IT!_"

The harshness in his voice made Kasumi pause as he turned to glare at her. His eyes blazed like hot coals as he took a deep breath, then addressed her in a quiet voice that was barely restraining his anger.

"Kasumi... if you truly believe what you are saying... then you're an even bigger _FOOL_ than that idiot you call a father."

Kasumi gasped at his words and felt as if she had been slapped.

"_THIS_ is the Eric that you admire so much?" Atsuko asked as she and her sister stood nearby.

"I... don't know what's going on. I'll admit that Eric can get abrasive at times, but I've never seen him like this before. I don't know what that girl had done to him, but whatever it was must have really hurt him. She might not be his girlfriend." Nodoka replied as she and her sibling contiuned to listen in on the conversation.

Ranma was not going to be silent, nor did he show any outward sign that he was regretting having to hurt Kasumi. It pained him to do this, but if the Tendo girl was to have any understanding of how he felt, then he would have to be blunt and force the truth on her. Being blissfully ignorant of the bad things about people had its own drawbacks and caused problems to grow if not checked.

"You say that it will work out? What's there to work with, huh? Day in and day out, the same crap over and over again! Did anyone ever listen to me when I had something to say? _NO!_ No one did! Did anyone give me a chance to explain when something went wrong? _NO!_ No one cared! _NO ONE FUCKING CARED!_"

"You can't say that! We cared! We all did and..."

"Bullshit."

Once again, Kasumi was shocked at Ranma's casual usage of profanity. "But..."

"I SAID... _BULLSHIT!_" Ranma hit a fist on the counter, almost breaking through the wood. "_NOBODY_ cared as to how I felt or what I wanted! The only thing that everyone cared about was themselves!"

"But..."

"No buts! That's how it was when that stupid 'unite the schools' shit started!" Ranma raged. "It was bad enough that Pops put me through that god-damned Neko Ken training! He _THREW_ me into a pit of starving cats without reading the whole manual, for God's sake! It was worse when he was too cheap to buy plane tickets and I had to swim to China! _HELL!_ He didn't even _BOTHER_ to learn one word of Chinese before taking me to Jusenkyo and getting me cursed! Was that enough? Oh no! He just had to add one more load of _CRAP!_ As soon as we got back to Japan, he tells me that I have to marry somebody that I had never met, just because of some dumb-assed promise he made before I was born! Most likely he made it when he was _DRUNK!_"

"I don't know about you Nodoka, but that stuff sure sounds like things that your idiot husband would do." Atsuko remarked.

Nodoka gave her sister a bit of a glare before turning her attention back to the conversation.

"And how about when I got to your home, eh? Was I welcomed with opened arms? _NO I WAS NOT!_"

"You're not being fair Ra... er, Eric." Kasumi protested. "We... weren't expecting the engagement either, and... you have to admit, we weren't ready for what happened when you and your father showed up."

Eric snorted in disgust. "You can chalk that up to your father and my Pop's stupidity! I didn't even want the _FUCKING_ engagement, but _NOOOOOOOOOO!_ I was dragged into it against my will! And what happened after we explained everything? You and Nabiki just pushed me onto that bitch Akane like I was damaged goods! Just how do you think that made me feel, huh?" Ranma then added with his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh that's a really _FINE_ way to treat a guest!"

That stinging jab cut the eldest Tendo girl to the quick as she remembered back to that first meeting. Eric had a point. That had been bad manners.

Eric continued on. "My father and your father didn't give a _SHIT_ as to what I had to say or how I felt about this whole thing! No! All they cared about the damned dojo, while sitting on their asses playing shogi and stuffing their faces! They didn't want to work or help out! They didn't _CARE_ that I was being hurt every day! They just decided to keep little Akane happy by taking her side and leaving me to take all of her crap and everyone else's crap!"

"That's not true! They were only fulfilling the family honor and..."

"Honor?! Don't you preach to me about honor! You don't know anything about honor! No one in that house knew about honor! Not Nabiki, not that abusive bitch Akane, not _YOU_, and especially not your father or mine! In fact, our fathers were the biggest _FUCKING_ hypocrites when it came to honor!"

"I'll not have you insult..."

"_SHUT UP!_" Eric roared, causing Akane and Nabiki's sister to become silent. "_YOU KNOW NOTHING OF HONOR!_ If you knew about honor, then the pledge would have been invalidated when Pop kept on selling me off!"

"Eric was sold off?" Atsuko repeated.

Nodoka became even more interested at this point.

Ranma began counting off the fingers on one hand. "I was sold for a fish, rice and pickles when I was a baby! Pops engaged me to Ukyo and took her family's yattai when I was six! He would have sold me off to that nut-job Kodachi when she offered a dojo, cash and a free barbeque! The way I see it, he wants this engagement with Akane so he can freeload off the dojo and my sweat for the rest of his life! I wasn't his son! I was just a piece of property in which he could sell to the highest bidder! Kami-sama only knows how many other times he used me as a bargaining chip without me knowing it! And Kami-sama only knows how many more times he would have done it! Despite all of his crimes, your father _STILL_ wanted that stupid marriage! I'd have to be crazy not to be royally _PISSED OFF!!_"

Kasumi was speechless at this moment. She couldn't deny that either.

"Call me crazy, but the more I hear about Eric's father, the more I think he's describing Genma."

"He's not talking about Genma!" Nodoka denied. "Genma's nothing like that!"

"Oh really?" Atsuko then began counting off her fingers. "There was that time after you two got married that he tried to sell off some of our family heirlooms for a free meal. Then there were those rumors about a certain someone who was said to have been seen with a perverted underwear thief two decades ago. Then we started hearing those alleged charges of repeated petty theft over the last five or so years with witnesses describing your husband..."

Nodoka gave her sister another growl as she turned back to where Eric was still addressing Kasumi.

"Honor... yeah, right! To them, it was just an excuse! In fact, that was the thing that I hated _MOST_ about your family... and you!"

This really shocked Kasumi to the core. "W-W-What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that next to being hypocrites... the thing that I hate most about your family and all those other assholes was the fact that they didn't want to face _REALITY!_ Even when the god-damned truth was _SHOVED_ in their faces, they didn't accept it! They _SAW_ how much abuse I took from Akane every day! _YOU_ saw how much shit I took! But did you admit that there was a problem? Did _ANYONE_ see that it wouldn't work out?! _NO THEY DIDN'T!_ And do you know why?! It's because every one made _FUCKING EXCUSES!_ And the worst excuse of all was defending _AKANE_!"

By this time, Ranma's words were being heard by people passing by and several of them stopped to listen.

"Akane Tendo." Eric growled. "If there's one person that I hate most in this world, it's that self-absorbed _BITCH_!"

"You don't mean that..."

"_LIKE HELL I DON'T!_"

Right now, Eric's rage was hot enough to melt steel and the eldest daughter of Soun Tendo became very concerned. Was the Ranma she once knew truly gone?

"Day in and day out... I had to take all that crap!" Eric snarled. "It was supposed to be out of honor... out of duty! Well _SCREW_ honor and duty! Nothing in this world would make me go back to that _SPOILED BRAT!_"

"But..."

"_SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!_ Your father and mine might have thought that we would come to 'love' each other, but that's _BULLSHIT_! There never WAS anything between us! There never _WILL_ be anything between us! Do you know why? Do you know the _FUCKING_ reason why?! I'll tell you why! It's because _NOBODY_, especially Akane knew what love was! I wasn't anybody's fiance! To Akane, I was just some possession that was _HANDED_ to her by my father, your father, your sister and _YOU_!"

"What are you talking about?"

"_SHIT! YOU CAN'T BE THIS DENSE!!_ Akane never had to go look for a fiance! The engagement _GAVE_ one to her! She didn't _HAVE_ to do anything! And once she got it, did she give me any fair treatment? _FUCK NO! SHE NEVER DID!_ She just assumed that I belonged to her! She would always treat me like low-grade _GARBAGE_! She would hit me whenever I did something wrong! She would hit me whenever another girl would look at me. She would hit me if I looked at another girl! _HELL_, she'd hit me for no reason at _ALL_! She _NEVER_ had any faith in me! Not one shred of faith! She would always be ready to assume the worst about me! She'd jump to the wrong conclusion every time!"

"That's not totally true!" Kasumi protested. "There were those times when she tried to help you..."

"_ONLY BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED THAT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE WAS GOING TO TAKE AWAY HER PROPERTY... NAMELY ME!_ When it was over, she'd go right back to abusing me! If that's her definition of 'love,' then she can go eat _SHIT_ for all I care! I never hit her back because of my honor code, but you don't know just how many times I wanted to _SMACK_ her!"

Kasumi desparately tried to regain control of the situation. "I... don't understand why..."

Eric wouldn't let her. "_OF COURSE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!_ The reason why you don't understand is because you didn't want to face up to the truth! Instead of realizing the problem and trying to fix it, instead you just made excuses! _AND I HATE EXCUSES!_"

"But..."

"_NO BUTS! IT'S NOTHING MORE THAN THE TRUTH!_ Whenever Akane would hit me, what would you say?" Ranma mimicked her voice. "Please, Akane's not that bad, she's just a violent maniac." He then continued on. "And whenever I got mad at Akane in front of your father, does he try to find out why I'm mad?! No! He says, _DON'T YOU HURT MY SWEET LITTLE GIRL_ and goes into that Demon Head of his! And how about _MY_ father?! It's a matter of honor boy, so don't whine about it! And it went on, and on, and on without any end in sight! Everyone saw that there was a problem, but _NOBODY_ wanted to admit that there _WAS_ a problem! And that's when they started making excuses, especially when it involved Akane!"

"What are you...?"

"What I'm saying is that since everyone kept on making excuses for her, Akane _NEVER_ had any reason to change! You kept on saying that things will work out in the end, instead of telling that bitch that it's wrong to hit someone with enough force to crush skulls, for something as trivial as name-calling! That stupid father of yours kept on defending her, even when it was clearly _HER_ fault! Everyone kept on saying, 'oh that's all right Akane, or it's no big deal!' Since everyone kept on taking her side and assumed that I was always at fault, Akane _NEVER_ changed! Everyone kept on making excuses for her and she never had to take one billionth of the crap that I had to take!"

"But... you're not being fair! Akane is really..."

"There you go again! You're making an excuse for all the things that she did to me! Did you ever stop and think about all the things that I had to endure? I had to _EAT_ her cooking while everyone else, including her, ate better! And everyone made the excuse that since I was her fiance, I _HAD_ to eat it! And whenever she hit me, even when I had nothing to do with it, did anyone say that it was wrong? _NO!_ They took _HER_ side! _THEY ALWAYS TOOK HER SIDE!_ Sometimes, even complete strangers took her side! And whenever something _WENT_ wrong for Akane, did anyone ever try to find out the reason? _NO!_ They just made more excuses, assuming that it was _MY_ fault because I was there! _NOBODY_ ever thought Akane could be at fault! Akane was the perfect little princess who could do no wrong! There was no reason to blame her! _YET_ another excuse! She had no discipline when it came to other things! She always assumed that she'd get it right on the first try! And when she failed, everyone would lie and say that she's getting better, when in fact she got worse! _MORE EXCUSES!_ Did she ever improve on her cooking? _NO!_ Did she ever get better at sewing? _NO!_ Could she even do something as simple as follow a recipe that's laid out for her? NO! She couldn't cook, she couldn't sew, she didn't keep house or even help out with finances! In other words, she was _ABSOLUTELY USELESS EXCEPT FOR BREAKING THINGS AND ABUSING ME!_ What did I have to do? I had to save her from every lunatic that kidnapped her! I had to take all of her abuse! I had to let Nabiki make money off me to help with the finances! _I WAS THE ONE WHO HAD TO SUFFER WHILE AKANE NEVER HAD TO DO MORE THAN KEEP ON HITTING ME!_"

"Right on, brother!" A boy from Ranma's school in the crowds said.

"You tell like it is!" Another agreed while giving him a wave. Kasumi tried to say something, but Eric wouldn't let her, She would hear everything he had to say.

Ranma was on a roll and there was no stopping him. "Excuses, excuses, nothing but _FUCKING_ excuses! Akane never got punished for anything bad. Nobody told her that what she was doing was wrong, so she kept on doing it! She was left uncontrolled and not once did anyone tell her that she was wrong! _HELL_, even I made excuses for her, saying that it didn't matter every time she hit me! _WELL IT DOES MATTER! IT MATTERS A FUCKING LOT TO ME!_"

"But..." Kasumi began but was once again cut off.

"And not once was she ever sorry for anything that she did! When was the last time she ever apologize?"

"You're not being fair..."

"Not once! Not _FUCKING_ once did Akane ever say... _I'M SORRY!_ Even when it turned out that it _WASN'T_ my fault, she never said that she was sorry, because everyone simply made excuses for her! They said that it was all right, it didn't matter or it was _MY_ fault! It didn't matter when I got hurt, as long as they kept Akane _HAPPY_!"

Kasumi was rendered speechless as she thought back. Ranma was right on that account. Akane had never apologized for her actions when Ranma was not at fault. She never had a reason to say I'm sorry, because everyone gave the reasons for her. In other words.... they made excuses for her acts of violence, mistrust, snap judgments and jealousy.

It was at that moment that the eldest Tendo daughter realized why Ranma had left Nerima.

Ranma nodded as he saw some comprehension in her expression. "I'm tired, Kasumi. I'm tired of people who do not want to take responsibility for themselves and just make excuses for their actions. I'm tired of being the fall guy for things that aren't my fault. I'm _NOT_ making any more excuses, nor am I going to _TAKE_ any more excuses! I tried to make it work. Kami-sama knows I tried. But it's _NOT_ going to work! I realized that I was just making an excuse, thinking that things would be better and letting all those times that Akane abused me go by as if they were nothing. Well, there is _NO_ excuse for taking all that _CRAP_ and not fighting back! _NOBODY_ should take kind of _SHIT_!"

"Knock some sense into that bitch, the next time you see her!" Another boy cheered. By this time there was a sizable crowd around the ramen stand. Even a few girls in the throngs were starting to take Eric's side.

Ranma continued on. "To _HELL_ with my father and all those bullshit excuses about the family honor! I'm not listening to any more excuses! Not from my father, not from your father, not from your sisters, and not even from _YOU_! I've had it with excuses and I won't take any more of them!"

"_YOU GO, ERIC!_"

Ranma turned to see Brody and Deiner cheering him on as well. Even though he held those two dopes in the lowest regard, at least they had an understanding. He turned back to Kasumi, who looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"I stopped believing in the excuse that things would turn out all right, when I knew that things weren't going to get any better. I stopped believing in the excuse that Akane would change, though I knew that I was only fooling myself. And I _STOPPED_ believing in the excuse that it was all for honor, when it did nothing but serve my father and yours! All they wanted was to keep Akane happy long enough to unite the schools and they were quite happy to put all the blame on me, while making excuses for Akane's actions. They just didn't want to face up to the fact that it wasn't going to work. Instead, they just made up more excuses. They did it so much that I think that they started believing those lies. They didn't want to take responsibility! They didn't want to get involved! They just ignored the problem and made _MORE_ excuses."

"Eric... I... don't know what to say. I didn't know..."

"Don't hand me _THAT_! You're not _THAT_ ignorant. You knew, Kasumi." Ranma's eyes took on a very harsh glare. "I can see that. _NOBODY_ could have missed all the pain and hurt that she caused to me, especially when a lot of it was done right in front of _YOU_! You knew all along, but like everyone else, you decided to disregard the problems and make an excuse for not doing anything about them. Like father, like daughter. You probably believed in those excuses about family honor and that it will all work out. Well? _AM I RIGHT?_"

At this point, from behind a nearby sushi stand, Lisa and Balla were listening to every word as Eric had it out with Akane's sister. The archer girl began to have a better understanding on why Eric had been so bitter when he came to Hiroshima.

As for the Tattoon Priestess, she redoubled her resolve to be by her beloved side.

"I..."

"I don't want to hear it!" Eric cut her off once again as he stood up. "I told you, I don't want to hear any more excuses. And like I said before, I'm _NEVER_ coming back! I don't hate you completely Kasumi. You were one of the few people in Nerima that showed me any kindness, and I thank you for it. However, I don't like excuses, even from you! I don't care about that stupid pledge... and I_ DON'T CARE ABOUT AKANE!_"

"But..."

"_I DON'T CARE ABOUT AKANE! I DON'T CARE IF SOME OTHER GUY WANTS HER! I DON'T CARE IF SHE GETS KIDNAPPED! I DON'T CARE IF SHE GETS BEATEN UP! DO YOU GET IT?! I DON'T CARE IF SHE LIVES! I DON'T CARE IF SHE DIES! I DON'T FUCKING CARE!!!_"

Kasumi was now shocked beyond all comprehension at Ranma's new attitude. It seemd that when he left Nerima, the part that was connected to her family had been permanently severed.

Eric then calmed down a bit. "And now, I'm giving you and everyone else fair warning. _LEAVE... ME... ALONE!_ Or I won't be responsible for whatever happens next! Sayonara."

"_WAIT!_" Kasumi got up, but by the time she stood up, the martial artist had already leapt high and lost himself into the crowds.

The brown-haired girl found herself standing in the midst of a huge crowd with no sign of her sister's former fiance. She then began to weep as Ranma's words came back to her.

_You knew all along, but like everyone else, you decided to ignore the problems and make an excuse for not doing anything about them._

It wasn't entirely true. Kasumi had tried to get Akane to be less violent and even made her promise not to strike out in anger... once. Akane had long since broken her promise and Kasumi had not reminded her of it. In other words, she simply made the excuse that things would work out on their own. Ranma was right. All the abuse that he had endured could not be justified and Kasumi should have done more to stop it.

It was a good thing that their mother was gone. If she were alive today, Kasumi suspected that Kimiko Tendo would have died in shame from seeing how Akane had turned out. Her sister had been left with little control and she had been spoiled. People such as her father, her sister Nabiki and even outsiders like Ryoga would always come to her defense. Ranma would especially be ptotective and would take most of the lumps. And what did Akane usually do in response to such devotion? She would hit him. What kind of gratitude was that?

Akane had been sheltered and catered to, while never having to answer for any mistakes that she made, especially the acts of abuse that she put on her betrothed.

At that moment, Kasumi felt that she had failed as the surrogate mother for letting all of this go on for so long. When their mother had died, it had been her duty to help her father raise her sibling right. However, when trouble came about, Kasumi had simply chosen to be oblivious and rationalized that everything would be fine. Basically, instead of addressing the problem, she made excuses, just like her father and his friend.

No wonder Ranma _HATED_ her in that respect.

Kasumi sunk to her knees with her face in her hands, weeping even more. Though Akane never said it, her sister was willing to do so.

"I'm so sorry..."

Atsuko gave a low whistle after Ranma had vanished into the crowds. "Well, you have to admit, he raised a lot of valid points. I certainly wouldn't have taken half the things that he had endured."

"I didn't know that Eric felt that way. No wonder he never wanted to talk about his past life." Nodoka said.

"No kidding! I wouldn't have wanted to talk about it, if all that happened to me. The fact that Eric didn't lash out at that abusive girl shows that he does have a lot of patience and control."

Nodoka nodded as she motioned for her sister to follow her, leaving Kasumi to weep.

_I think that I'm beginning to understand you, Eric._

"So are you done with them?" Balla asked as she and Lisa met up with Ranma, a few minutes after he had left Kasumi. The Tattoon girl had left both Nabiki and Akane running on a wild goose chase before rejoining her beloved.

Eric shook his head. "I may have gotten through to Kasumi, but there's still Akane and Nabiki to deal with. I'm afraid that we're going to have to head home."

"Awww! Can't we stay just a little longer?" Balla pouted.

"No." Ranma replied coldly. He knew that things would erupt into chaos if Akane, her father or his father were to find him here. He prefer to confront them on his own terms. That meant that he needed to prepare.

Lisa had the good sense to keep her peace.

"Can we at least stay for the fireworks?" Balla pleaded.

Eric was silent for a long time as he considered the Tattoon Priestess' request. The fireworks display was one of the things that she had been looking forward to seeing at this festival. It was becoming dark and the show was going to start in a few minutes. He finally nodded while letting off a tired sigh. "We go straight home after that, got it?"

"Yay!" Balla gratefully hugged him.

Eric was deep in thought as he considered his options. If the Tendos had come here to Hiroshima, then that meant that Nabiki somehow managed to track him down. She would be the only one with the resources to do it. Therefore, he could only expect that she was going to attempt to force him back under her thumb. Well, Ranma may be easy to manipulate, but Eric was a different story. He had been planning for this eventuality for some time now; making a few phone calls to certain people in Nerima and calling in old debts. This time, Akane's mercenary sister was going to find out that her usual tactics were not going to work on him.

As for everyone else, well he had a good idea that Nabiki had sold out information on his whereabouts to them. He would just have to cross those bridges when he came to them. Things were going to get very hairy, very soon and Eric needed to take out as many of those headaches as he can.

It was at that moment that the skies was suddenly lit with bright colors and patterns. The air became filled with whistling noises and the sounds of crackling explosions. The people all turned their gazes skyward to enjoy the show. There were many 'oohs and ahhs' among the spectators as they viewed the pyrotechnics.

Balla and Lisa became delighted at the spectacle and seeing their happy faces made Eric begin to think that coming to the festival was actually worth it. Tentatively, he reached out with a hand toward Balla.

As Nodoka and her sister were enjoying the fireworks display, she happened to glance toward a certain direction and saw Eric standing nearby with a couple of girls. She smiled as she saw that one of his hands was clasping a blonde girl's and he moving closely to her. Ranma's mother correctly assumed that she must be Eric's love interest. In her mind, Nodoka acknowledged this as the final proof of Eric's manliness.

_Ah... so that's the one, eh? She's beautiful! I can tell that she's the one for him! I must meet with her! Oh, if only Ranma had the same kind of good fortune that Eric has!_

After Ranma and Balla had dropped off Lisa at her home and returned to their apartment, Eric wasted no time in getting his plans for Nabiki and her family into motion. He picked up the phone and dialed a certain number.

"Hello? Tokyo Police? Listen, I have some evidence concerning some criminal activities in the District of Nerima that you have not been able to solve. And I also have proof of their connections with some recent underwear thefts in Hiroshima as well." _All those panty raids that have been going on here can only be that old freak's work!_ "I also have some evidence about certain individuals who had been hiding a known felon and acts of racketeering, underage pornography, illegal wire tapping, extortion, blackmail and bribery. I have several witnesses in Tokyo who are wiling to testify." _I'm sure that all those people that Nabiki had fleeced will want a piece of this._ Ranma paused as he spoke with the officer on the other line. "If you want to get more proof, you can contact me at this number..."

To be continued...

Author's notes

I decided to hold off on the big blowup until next chapter or so, as I wanted to have it out with a few things that have bugged me about the Ranma/Akane relationship of the original series. The thing is... people always seemed to take Akane's side and never Ranma's, even when he had nothing to do with it. And I kept on hearing nothing but excuses for her, while Ranma had to face the music every time. Furthermore, I never heard Akane ever say, I'm sorry, (except at the end of the manga). Having an abusive stepmother who never apologized for whenever she hurt me for no reason, nor admit that she was wrong, I can understand that. People who never had that experience on a daily basis, simply don't consider that fact, especially with the Akane lovers.

Throughout the series, Akane simply does not apologize for any acts of violence she commits, nor does she admit that she was wrong. She usually says things like, 'you're such a liar Ranma' or 'Admit it, you were wrong!' She won't hesitate to gloat or show her superiority. And the fact of the matter is, the rest of the Tendos and even Ranma end up saying, 'it's all right Akane,' 'forget it,' or 'it doesn't matter.' Let's face it, she's spoiled. To me, it DOES matter, and to this Ranma, it matters a lot.

I find this story to be good therapy, like Skysaber finds his story, Shampoo's Revenge as something to vent out one's feelings. However, I'm not going to go too far and some characters from the Nerima Gang will be saved. For those of you who think that I went too harsh on Kasumi, just remember that she's not perfect and that obliviousness of hers can be annoying at times. I didn't have Ranma strike her, but she needed to be confronted with the truth in a way that even she can't ignore. Perhaps this might finally get her to see the real world and realize that there are some things, though unpleasant, have to be acknowledged and accepted.

That's the rewrite for Chapter 7, and though Nodoka is still unaware that Eric is really her son, she now has a bit more understanding of him and why he acts this way. Things are really going to get intense once she does realize the truth. What's going to happen? Well, that is a secret!

This rewrite also introduced nodoka's sister Atsuko and gives some background on their family as well as what they thought of Genma. The added reasons as to why Eric abandoned his old life filled out some of the gaps left by the original. I also wanted to make the chapter with more emotion.


	8. Chapter 8: An Eye for an Eye

**Tatton Ranma**

Disclaimer: I didn't do it! I swear!

: Thoughts

**Chapter 8**

An Eye for an Eye

"Are you sure that you don't want me to, you know?" Balla asked as she watched her beloved prepare to go off to his job at the coffee shop.

"It's okay, Balla." Eric replied. "I'll be fine."

It had been a week since Ranma's fateful encounter with Kasumi Tendo and he had been extremely quiet since then. During that time, Eric had learned more about Tattoon Magic and had even mastered a few simple spells. Of course, he still trained as a martial artist, but was now incorporating his newfound skills into his fighting style. As he continued to improve himself, he began to slowly, but surely break away from the Anything Goes Martial Arts. As he no longer considered himself as Genma's son, he had decided to create his own personal fighting style. If his opponent didn't hold back, then he saw no reason to pull his punches either. He wasn't interested in flashy moves or taunting his adversary. He was now brutally efficient and would use whatever moves were necessary to bring his foe down. In that way, his enemy would know that he was dead serious in a fight. The cockiness and arrogance was gone, and in its place was an attitude that had zero tolerance for the crap that Ranma had endured in Nerima.

For the most part, the Anything Goes was based on the principals of thievery, lying and trickery. Therefore, Eric had decided to throw out the old codes. To _HELL_ with Genma's hypocritical sense of honor, gluttony, greed, and his habit of making his son take the blame for his father's crimes. That no-hitting girls policy, even when they truly deserved it, also sucked! The overdevloped sense of pride was discarded as well. As of now, it didn't matter what gender his opponent was. No one was going to force him into anything. His engagement to Balla was the only exception, for the Tattoon girl gave him the faith and understanding that Akane and all those other fiancees never had. Eric's new codes were simple and straightforward. He belonged to nobody! If you keep your promises and honor to him, then he would keep his. Don't bother him and he won't have to hurt you. Piss him off... then it will be your funeral.

Balla as still a bit worried as she asked, "But what if that awful Nabiki person finds you? You told me that she's the most likely to find out where you work and live. Then she'll..."

Eric shrugged. "I'm counting on it."

"What?"

He then gave her a small smile. "Let's just say that this meeting has been long in coming and after all that I had to go through in Tokyo, it had finally gotten through my thick skull on how to handle her. The answer was so obvious, that I should have kicked myself for not realizing it sooner. Nabiki isn't as smart as she thinks she is. She's really predictable and she's no more than a minor itch to be scratched. The only reasons why I didn't do it before was because of my stupid pride, and letting other things keep me from doing what needed to be done. I'm taking control of my life and I refuse to let her screw it up for me now."

"But..."

"It's okay, Balla. I'll be fine, and after today, I'll have one less headache to deal with. So don't worry, all right? Hey, how about teaching me more about my Tattoon Powers when I get back?"

"No problem." The Tattoon Priestess leaned forward and gave Ranma an affectionate peck on his cheek. This time, the martial artist did not flinch. Just as he reached up to stroke the spot, a new symbol formed on his skin for a moment, then faded away.

Balla nodded as she noted the new secondary tattoo, which had been a rough, triangular shape and had three lines radiating out from it. "Your new tattoos are forming nicely. Take care."

Ranma nodded as he headed off to work. As he walked down the street, his thoughts went back to a certain, money-grubbing, unscrupulous Tendo daughter and all she had done to him, and what she was most likely going to do to him when she met up with him again.

_Not **THIS** time, Nabiki. Not now... **NOT EVER!**_

It had taken him a week to set the stage for this event, and he was certain that Nabiki would not soon forget this day.

After her beloved had left, Balla found herself pacing their apartment, still worrying over what he would do in his encounter with Nabiki. She then shook her head, dispelling those thoughts. Eric had assured her that he would not harm Nabiki, (physically at least), and the Tatton Priestess had complete faith in him. Trust was important to maintain a good relationship. That was something that Akane never had with Ranma and gave Balla a substantial edge.

Balla then decided to do some grocery shopping to keep herself occupied. She went into her room and began changing out of her normal tribal wear. Since coming to Hiroshima, Eric had bought her some new clothes, since she couldn't keep going around in her school uniform or her usual Tattoon outfit. She picked out a simple white blouse with a denim skirt ensemble and walking shoes. After changing clothes and brushing out her hair, she took a look in a full-lenght mirror and nodded before getting her purse and heading out the door. When she had left her village to search for Eric, her father had given her a sizeable amount of gold and jewels for traveling expenses and such. She had converted some of that fortune into currency and had opened up an account.

The priestess then headed out the door toward the shopping district.

Three blocks away, some time later...

Nabiki was sitting near the counter of the coffee shop, and was sipping on a cup of tea as she waited for Ranma. According to her calculations, he should be arriving for work in about five minutes. She looked about and saw that the establishment was fairly secluded and was certain that her business with Ranma would be secure. There was no one else around aside from a vagrant in a trench coat that was sitting at a table a few meters away. In any case, Ranma was just a dumb jock that was obsessed with martial arts. Always have been, always will be. He didn't know squat when it came to anything else and she could always play on that inflated ego of his. He had nowhere near the intelligence to have gotten away from Nerima all on his own and she already knew about the part the Furinkan Computer Club had played in making him a new identity. That in itself can be played as one of her trump cards to force him to return.

Her head perked up when she saw someone enter the front door. She nodded as she saw who it was. His hair had been cropped short and he now sported an x-shaped scar on his forehead, but that was Ranma, no doubt about it.

He was dressed in a formal dress shirt and slacks, which was probably the standard uniform of the coffee shop. He waved to the manager, who was behind the counter, who in turned greeted him.

"Hey, Eric! How's it going?"

"Not bad. Anyone here for me to wait on?" Eric replied, as he saw Nabiki out of the corner of his left eye.

"It's been pretty slow, so you can just go and refill this lady's tea." The manager gestured to the Tendo girl as he also gave Eric a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Eric nodded as he walked over to her and said in a very polite manner. "Hello there. I'm Eric and I'll be your server for today. Is there anything I can do for you?" Inside of him, he was trying extremely hard not to show any disgust for the middle Tendo daughter.

Nabiki smiled at the loaded question as she turned to face him with a smug grin. "Why yes, there are a couple of things you can do for me... Ranma!"

Eric showed no change in expression as he said, "Excuse me? I think you have mistaken me for someone else."

"Oh, there's no mistake... Ranma Saotome."

The shopping district...

Balla decided to stop at a restaurant to have some tea before going home to begin cooking dinner for her Eric. Setting down her bags of groceries, she sat down at a booth and ordered for some green tea. As she waited, her Tattoon senses began alerting her of some presences that reminded her of Eric. She wondered just what or who was giving her such strong impressions. She began fine-tuning her perceptions, causing the tattoo on her forehead to faintly appear. Since the presences were nearby, she didn't have to bring out the full power of the mark. She looked about and when she pinpointed the source, she looked out of the corner of her right eye and saw two women sitting at a nearby booth.

At that particular booth, Nodoka and Atsuko were enjoying their tea when the younger sister suddenly got a kind of feeling that someone was watching them. Nodoka looked about and caught sight of a certain someone that she had seen at the festival.

"Oh look! There she is!"

"Who?" Atsuko asked.

"The one from the festival. It's Eric's girlfriend." She gestured with a finger in Balla's direction.

"Oh?" Atsuko looked to where her sister was pointing. "Oh. Well, she might not be Eric's girlfriend you know."

"No. I'm certain that she is! I saw how she was around him during the fireworks. And she fits the description that Eric's co-workers had given to me. Let's go see her! I've been wanting to meet her for some time now."

"Now hold on, sister. Even if she is Eric's girlfriend, it's not really any of our business..."

Nodoka however, wasn't listening as she got up and took hold of her sibling's hand. Atsuko found herself being dragged out of her seat and pulled toward Balla's booth.

Eric's workplace...

Eric simply shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry, but my name is Eric Kobayashi. I have no idea who this Ranma person is."

By now, Nabiki decided that it was time to take control. "Oh, you can just drop this whole charade, Ranma. I know who you are and everyone is going to know _WHERE_ you are. Now, are you going to come quietly back to Nerima, or must I make your life a living hell in Hiroshima?"

"Lady, I don't know why you think I'm this Ranma person, but there are laws against people who make threats."

Nabiki gave off a small laugh. She couldn't believe that Ranma was actually trying to stand up against her, the Ice Queen of Furinkan. How amusing. "Oh come on now, Ranma. We both know that you're going back, and there's not a blessed thing you can do about it." She then gave him one of her taunting expressions. "Do you know that Happosai and our fathers are here? Hmmm? And so are Ukyo, Shampoo, Cologne and all the others who are just _DYING_ to get their hands on you. You caused quite a stir when you went and left Nerima. Now I _CAN_ sell them the information on where you work and live or..."

"Or what?" Eric asked, though he knew what the answer would be.

"Or you can simply come back to the dojo. Do you know that Kuno is hungry for photos again? Even those pictures I took of Akane in the bath aren't enough and he _REALLY_ wants to see his 'pigtailed goddess' again."

"I _STILL_ don't know why you insist that I'm this Ranma guy, but don't you think that taking pictures of someone naked without their permission, let alone forcing someone into it, is illegal? And besides that, blackmail and making threats is also against the law."

Nabiki snorted at her main source of income. "And what brought this on, Ranma? You think that you're going to tell the police, especially with no proof? Do you think that the Nerima police is going to care what you could say to them, especially with your curse? They haven't done a single thing since you came to our house, so what makes you think they're going to do anything now? They're all just a bunch of idiots who'd rather not get involved."

"Oh, I don't know." Eric shrugged. "I think the main reason why they didn't get involved was because they didn't have any solid evidence to go on, especially with that Underwear Thief and... certain people who were too afraid to speak out, mostly because of you."

"And what are you implying?" Nabiki began to get the feeling that Ranma wasn't the least bit concerned about his situation, but she was certain that she held all the cards.

"I'm saying that you must have pissed off quite a few people with your schemes, especially this Ranma person that you think that I am. I would say that people were probably afraid that you'd reveal certain secrets about them, which made it easy for you to fleece them of their hard-earned money. As far I can see, you're nothing more than an opportunistic parasite."

"Sticks and stones, Ranma." Nabiki commented with an off-handed wave. "I'm merely conducting business."

"You mean blackmail."

"I like to think of it as enforced payment collection."

"Underage pornography."

"It's simply supply and demand."

"Demand that you created in the first place, by offering the buyers a free sample, then getting them hooked. You're no better than a drug dealer."

"I'm simply an entrepreneur." Nabiki replied casually. "I just saw a potential market and helped it along. Kuno would have demanded for those photos of his 'fierce tigress' and his 'pigtailed goddess' sooner or later."

"And how about all those people that you've blackmailed? The Computer Club, half the Furinkan teaching staff and nearly all the students at the high school? Digging into their personal lives _IS_ an invasion of their privacy, you know."

Nabiki gave a nonchalant 'hmpf' as she said, "I really don't think that reminding me of what I've already done is going to do you any good, Ranma. Like I said before, you don't have any proof, and even if you did, no one would believe you. So what are you going to do? Beat me up? I know you more than you know yourself, Ranma. You won't hit a girl and even if you did, I can simply have you up on assault charges."

"You seem to think that you know everything about this Ranma person, except that for the fact that I'm not him."

"Go ahead, Ranma. Keep on denying. You're just digging that hole even deeper."

"Nodoka, this is none of our business." Atsuko whispered as she and her sister approached Balla's booth.

Her sister continued to ignore her sibling as she smiled and introduced herself to the Tattoon girl. "Hello there. I know that we've never met before, but I've been wanting to meet with you for some time now."

The blonde-haired girl quickly made her forehead tattoo disappear before looking up and smiling at the two. "Oh really?"

Atsuko's sister nodded. "I believe that we know the same person? His name is Eric Kobayashi."

"Oh, you know my Eric?"

The question was actually unnecessary, since Balla had already detected the spiritual connection between this woman and her boyfriend. The other woman had a somewhat lesser connection to him, but she could feel that she was strongly connected to Nodoka. She correctly assumed by this and their physical resemblance to each other, that they were related. She also noted that Nodoka had the same gray-blue eyes as her Eric. Interesting.

Nodoka nodded. "Yes. He happens to be my favorite server at another cafe. I had heard that he had a girlfriend. His friends tell me that she had beautiful blonde hair and a wonderful smile. When I saw you with him at the festival, I just knew that you were her."

Balla smiled warmly as she motioned for the two women to sit down. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Balla."

"My name is Nodoka and this is my sister Atsuko."

Back to the other place...

Eric glared at the mercenary sister of the Tendo clan. When he had first seen her, he had a small hope that Nabiki still had a shred of decency left in her. However, whatever humanity she had left, had either been thrown away for greed or hidden so deep that it may as well been lost. So it was with a little regret that he had to... remove her from his new life.

Akane's sister noted Ranma's long silence and felt that she now had him backed into a corner. She didn't think it would hurt to gloat a bit more before driving the final nail of the coffin. "Nothing more to say, Ranma? Well, I don't blame you, considering that you don't have any choice in the matter. Now, shall we get back to the dojo? I'm certain that Akane is anxious to see you again."

"Actually... I do have a few things to say." Eric said as he crossed his arms on his chest. "You, Nabiki Tendo, are the _COLDEST_, most vindictive person I have ever met."

"Like I said, Ranma, sticks and stones."

"I just can't believe that _ANYONE_ would so casually disregard the feelings of others and use them as pawns, just to fill one's own purse with their money."

"As I said before, it's just business."

"And how about the fact that Happosai, aka the Underwear Thief is being sheltered at your home?"

"That's no concern of mine, Ranma. It's _YOUR_ job to keep him under control. And besides, the betting pools I have with your fights with him are also good money-makers."

"And how about those people who are forced to do your dirty work of spying and racketeering? A few hundred yen in simple wagers is nothing, but I hear that a lot of people owe you thousands!"

"Hundreds of thousands, actually, but what's the difference? It was their fault for gambling in the first place. In any case, this reminiscing of old times has been fun, but I still haven't heard your answer, Ranma."

"Old times? You're still doing it even now."

Nabiki gave an off-handed wave. "Yes, yes, yes. It's been a very profitable eighteen months. Well, except for the time when you left Nerima, but I figure that a few choice photos of your other self in some provocative lingerie should be enough to recoup my losses. Now then, Ranma, what's it going to be?"

"One last thing, Nabiki Tendo."

Already, Nabiki had gotten bored with Ranma's pathetic attempt to match verbal skills with her. "Oh, very well Ranma. I'll humor you. But then I expect to hear your answer."

"Oh, you'll get my answer. Now, my question is, do you have any regrets whatsoever, of what you had done to this Ranma person and all those other people that you had hurt with your schemes?"

Soun's middle daughter was silent for a long time, then replied, "As I said before Ranma. That was all business. I did what I had to do."

Eric nodded as he said, "Well then. It looks like I must do, what I have to do as well."

Back to Balla...

Balla and the two sisters enjoyed each other's company as they conversed about a certain x-scarred martial artist. The Tattoon Priestess however, couldn't get over that feeling that Nodoka had an especially close bond with her Eric, even though she said that she had only met him a few months ago. The blonde girl was tempted to use her powers to probe deeper into Nodoka's psyche, but with the two sisters sitting across from her, they were bound to see the tattoo appearing on her forehead.

"So how long have you known Eric?" Nodoka asked.

"Sister! You shouldn't be so nosy!" Atsuko scolded.

Balla waved it off. "Oh, I don't mind. I just love talking about my Eric."

"Tell us all about him." Nodoka asked, giving Balla her full attention.

The girl took on a thoughtful look. "Well... I'll have to admit that he wasn't exactly what I had been expecting when I first met him. He was... rough, abrasive and wasn't afraid to speak out his mind. Our first meeting was a little rocky."

"A little rocky?" Atsuko asked with a bit of a teasing tone. She remembered Eric's discussion with Kasumi at the festival.

"All right, it was _VERY_ rocky." Balla admitted. "And it took a long while before he and I came to an understanding. But all those things that make Eric what he is today is what I love so much about him."

"Ah, I see." Nodoka nodded knowingly. She admired such loyalty and devotion. If only her son would be as fortunate as Eric to have such a girl by his side.

Balla nodded as she continued. "I know that Eric is hard to be with, but once you get to know him like I do, then you'd see that he's a good and kind person underneath that rough exterior. He's brave, he always looks out for his friends and he never backs down. He'll always do what needs to be done."

The coffee shop...

"Then you're coming with me to Nerima, right?" Nabiki asked with a smug expression, thinking that her money-maker had no choice.

"Wrong." Ranma then turned to the vagrant who was sitting at the table on the other side of the cafe. "Will that be enough, Officer Nagata?"

The 'vagrant' nodded as he stood up and removed his trench coat, revealing a uniform underneath, specifically of the Tokyo Police!

"That will be fine, son." The officer said as he signaled to his partner.

The 'manager' quickly rounded the counter and flashed a badge while whipping out a pair of handcuffs.

Nabiki's smugness disappeared as all the color drained out of her face. "W-W-What is this?!"

Now it was Eric's turn to be smug as the two officers came up to the table, blocking off the girl's avenues of escape. "May I introduce you to Detective Nagata and Sergeant Tanaka of the Tokyo Police Department, specifically of the Nerima Precinct?"

"W-W-What?!" The Tendo girl gasped as she was roughly hauled up by the detective's partner.

Officer Tanaka quickly grabbed hold of her wrists and moved them to her back before fastening the handcuffs on her.

"Nabiki Tendo, you are under arrest." The detective said.

"_WHAT?! ON WHAT CHARGE?!_"

"Extortion, blackmail, illegal gambling, and underage pornography for starters."

"What do you mean?! Where's your proof?!"

Eric then replied. "Oh, did I mention that our entire conversation has been recorded?"

The detective nodded as he signaled toward the door that led to the kitchen. Another officer appeared while holding a listening headset.

"Nice confession on your part, don't you think, Nabiki?" Eric said with a knowing grin. "You of all people would know the value of gathering information and evidence on a person."

By now, Soun's middle daughter was in total shock. Ranma had actually pulled this off?! He had outmaneuvered her?! It couldn't be! It was impossible! Ranma didn't have that kind of smarts!

Eric continued to gaze upon her as she was being taken away to the officers' undercover car.

"_YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, RANMA SAOTOME!!!_"

Balla's beloved shrugged. "Ranma Saotome? Never heard of him."

Scene change...

"Eric isn't the kind of person who lets bad things get to him. He's very direct and once he does something, he'll follow through." Balla continued.

"Yes, that was my impression of him as well." Nodoka agreed. "Truly a man among men."

"Oh please, Sister. Let's not start _THAT_ again!" Atsuko was getting tired of hearing that 'man among men' phrase.

The Tattoon girl became confused at that statement, then shrugged. "Even though Eric can get really angry, that's only because people don't understand him. He's been through a lot of things; a lot more than most people realize."

"Yes. I can imagine." Nodoka thought back to the festival and eric's outburst toward Kasumi.

"But he'd _NEVER_, _EVER_ hurt an innocent. The only people he has hurt were the ones that deserved it."

"Oh my." Atsuko remarked.

Eric's girl then added, "But he's starting to change. I've noticed it. He used to deal things with just his fists, but now he's trying to find alternatives."

Back to Eric...

Detective Nagata stayed as his partners ushered the suspect to the vehicle. "I'd like to thank you again for helping the police. At first, we didn't believe you when you said you had some information concerning the Underwear Thief and rumors of racketeering near Furinkan High, but when you started sending us those negatives and files..."

"I'm just doing my duty as a concerned citizen, sir." Eric replied. "Though I hope you will honor our agreement..."

The detective nodded. "As far as we're concerned, you were just an anonymous tipster. The recordings and evidence you've provided for us is more than enough to build a case against Miss Tendo. In addition to the charges I've already mentioned, I'm pretty sure that we can also add harboring a known felon."

"Felons actually." The former Nerima resident corrected. "There's one more bastard you can add to your list. His name is Genma Saotome. I'm certain that if you look back on past cases of unsolved petty thievery, you'll find his name and description. I've also got some evidence on him as well. Hold on a minute." He quickly walked over to a place behind the main counter. At that moment, the real manager of the cafe emerged from the kitchen.

"Is everything all right, officer?" The middle-aged man asked.

"We're just finishing up here." Nagata replied as Ranma then returned with a large envelope, which he handed to the officer.

"Here. This should be enough evidence to nail Genma Saotome to the wall and there are also some things you should know about Happosai, the Underwear Thief."

"Thank you." The policeman looked into the envelope's contents and then gave Eric a confused look after seeing a photo of Happosai during one of his panty raids. It figured that Nabiki would have shots of him, in order to keep the letch from bothering her. "This runt is the Underwear Thief?!"

"Don't let his looks fool you. He's a very dangerous and formidable martial artist. It's almost impossible to bring him down. However, I've listed his weaknesses and if you follow that information, then you should be able to handle him. At the very least, he won't be able to steal and harass people with impunity anymore. The authorities will know who he is."

"All right... I guess you've given us much more to work with than what we had before."

"Oh, and I've also made a few other calls before you came here. In that envelope, you'll find a list of numbers of people that can help you in your case against Nabiki Tendo and the Underwear Thief."

The detective smiled as he read the underlying meaning to Eric's words. "I take it that you weren't the only one that she pissed off, eh?"

The x-scarred martial artist smiled as he bid the officer goodbye. "Thank you for taking the time to come to Hiroshima to hear me out, and set up this sting operation."

"Good day to you..." The detective gazed on the teen for a long time, taking in every detail of the martial artist. There had been stories of an exceptional fighter that had disappeared several months ago in Nerima. The tales of his fights and outrageous escapades had been the stuff of legends and myths. However, with his disappearance, all the chaos that surrounded him also vanished. And now this young man had just come out of the blue with information that could help the police solve some of the most mind-boggling crimes of that selfsame area. It was so obvious, that a cadet fresh from the police academy could have deduced the identity of their 'anonymous tipster.'

However, they had already made an agreement. In exchange for the information, files, photographic and audio evidence, the police would not ask about, nor call upon their informant. Not that it mattered. With the list of phone numbers that Eric had given to him, Nagata was certain that other witnesses could be found to testify against Nabiki and those other criminals.

"Sayonara, Kobayashi-san." The officer gave Ranma a polite bow and exited the cafe.

Balla again...

"In the end, Eric is just trying to make himself into something more than what he was. He came to Hiroshima to get away from his old problems and start over. After what he told me about his old life, I don't blame him and I stand by him one hundred percent!"

Nodoka and Atsuko nodded in agreement. From what they had seen and heard at the festival, they could believe it. Of course, they did not tell Balla that they had been eavesdropping. It was then that Atsuko glanced at her watch.

"Oh dear! Look at the time. Nodoka, we need to get going."

The younger sibling nodded as they both rose to their feet. As they turned to head for the cashier, they bowed to Balla.

"It was a pleasure speaking with you Balla, and I hope to see you again." Nodoka said.

"Same here, Ms... I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your last name."

Atsuko nodded as she replied. "Our family name is Kobayashi."

"Kobayashi? Are you related to Eric?" Balla wondered if that was the reason why she felt such a strong impression from their spiritual energies. She took a sip of tea.

Nodoka shook her head. "I would love to call Eric as one of our family, but no. Kobayashi is a very common name. Actually, I go by my husband's family name. My full name is Nodoka Saotome."

At that point, Balla nearly choked on her tea. She quickly swallowed and took a deep breath as she looked up at the woman with a bit of shock.

"Is something wrong?"

"Er... uh, well... no... nothing's wrong." Balla stuttered as she made the shocking connection. Eric had told her of his previous life as Ranma Saotome and now this woman claimed to be a Saotome! With the strong spiritual essence being similiar to Eric's, that meant...

"I do have a son named Ranma who would be about Eric's age by now. Oh, I would be very proud if he turned out to be even half the man that Eric is." Nodoka said dreamily.

"Oh... I'm pretty certain that he will be." Balla said nervously. That last statement of Nodoka's had been the clincher and now she was at a loss of what to do.

"How do you know?" Nodoka inquired.

Balla shrugged while giving her a smile. "Well... call it a hunch. With you as his mother, how could he not be?"

The two sisters laughed lightly at what they thought was a joke and bid the girl goodbye. A few minutes later, after paying the cashier for their drinks, they departed from the establishment, leaving the mystic girl alone with her thoughts.

Balla knew that Eric wanted nothing to do with his former life, though he had never mentioned his mother. He unconditionally despised his father Genma. The Tattoon Priestess became torn. She had just spent the last half-hour talking to someone who was technically her mother-in-law! Now the real question was... should she tell Eric?

She knew next to nothing as to what he felt toward Nodoka, though her intital impressions of her were favorable. She seemed like a very nice person and Balla had detected no malice or harsh feelings from her and she held her son in very high regard. What would be the harm of telling Eric? Then again, she had no way of predicting how he would react if she did so. Perhaps the reason why he never talked about his mother was because he hated her as well.

The blonde girl sighed. She had wanted to learn more about her husband, but she now in possession of something that even he didn't know. She was going to have to give this a lot of thought.

Later that night, at their apartment...

"So Nabiki is going to prison?" Balla asked as she and Eric practiced some breathing exercises to help focus their Tattoon Powers. Both were sitting cross-legged on the floor, opposite to each other. The priestess was in her tribal wear while her husband was bare-chested and wearing only a pair of silk pants. Balla's tattoos were prominently displayed. Ranma's secondary marks were glowing brightly, as well as the primary symbol on his forehead. The x-shaped mark had morphed into a symbol that was similar to the one that was on Balla's forehead. At present, he had seven tattoos; one on his forehead, one on his right cheek, one on the back of each hand, with two on his right forearm and one on his left bicep.

Eric nodded to her question as he took another deep breath. "Like I told you before, I wasn't going to let that mercenary or anyone else screw up my life anymore. The police weren't the only ones I called this week. I got in touch with some people that she's blackmailed, and they've agreed to be witnesses against her. I also gave Detective Nagata a list of her associates, and I'm willing to bet that they'll testify against her to avoid getting criminal records. Nabiki had made a _LOT_ of enemies and very few friends."

The High Priestess of the Tattoon Tribe nodded as she noted that a new tattoo was beginning to form on Eric's chest, just above his heart. "So, now you don't have to worry about her anymore. And I'm very proud that you handled her without having to fight or hurt anyone."

Eric gave the Tattoon girl a sheepish smile. "Well, fists wouldn't have worked against her, no matter how much I wanted to pound her for what she did to me. When I stopped and thought about it, I realized that Nabiki was nothing more than a penny ante operator, and that she was very predictable. I guess it was my pride which kept me from seeing that. She only got away with things for so long, because I never used my head. I was never prepared for anything besides martial arts, and she took advantage of that. When I finally got away from Nerima, I realized that if I wanted to get ahead in life and protect myself from those kinds of attacks, then I needed to learn how to fight without my fists."

Balla nodded as she continued to listen. The mark on Eric's chest fully appeared and took a crescent shape.

Ranma continued to talk as he felt more power flowing through his body as his ki realigned itself with the magic of the tattoos. "Nabiki played on my arrogance and... yeah, I'll admit it, my stupidity. And since I learned to be an idiot from my father, I just didn't know how to stop her and I ended up being her money-maker."

"But you won in the end, Eric!"

"Yeah. I do learn. It may take a while for things to get through my thick skull, but I do learn. Nabiki underestimated me when we met today. She thought that I was still the same, stupid jock that I was back in Tokyo. Well, I may not be able to get her for _EVERYTHING_ that she did to me, but the charges that are against her now should be enough."

"She's going away for a long time." Balla agreed.

Eric nodded wholeheartedly. "Once I got away from that crap in Nerima, I started to actually think about things and let go of that ego of mine. It's caused me nothing but trouble. I'm not concerned with being _THE_ best anymore. I just want to be the best that 'I' can be. That's good enough for me. And I finally realized that I don't have to face everything by myself. It's... really good to have somebody who's with me... you know?"

Balla blushed a bit and smiled, then decided to change the subject. "So... what are you going to do when all those others come for you?"

"I'll deal with them. I have a feeling that I'm going to need my new powers. They might be my ace in the hole."

Balla nodded again as she and Eric continued their breathing exercises.

At a certain hotel...

"_YOU'RE WHERE?!_" Soun screamed as he clutched the phone in his hand. Behind him, Genma wondered what was going on.

Guess who just called from a jail cell?

In their bedrooms, Akane and Kasumi looked up and saw their father shouting hysterically at the receiver. After her encounter with Ranma, the eldest sister had become reclusive and would not speak to anyone. As for Akane, she of course, blamed Ranma for her sister's state of distress and promised to deliver immense pain to her wayward 'fiance' when she caught up with him.

At another hotel...

"Shampoo, you must do all that is necessary to bring back your groom." Cologne said as she addressed her great-grandchild.

"Yes, great-grandmother! I will bring back Airen!" The purple-haired girl said as she prepared to go out in search of her husband.

Cologne then stiffened as she began sensing a strange energy that was emanating from somewhere near the center of the city. The three hundred-year-old matriarch began to wonder just where she had encountered such power before, then a chill went down her spine as a centuries-old memory came back to her.

_It... couldn't be... could it?_

Then a word began echoing in her head as the energies she felt became even stronger.

Tattoon.

Back at Eric's apartment, Balla had decided. Her beloved had a right to know and trust was very importatnat in a relationship.

"Eric?"

"Yeah, Balla?"

"There's something that I need to tell you..."

Meanwhile...

The girl in a hooded cloak watched the setting sun from a rooftop. It had taken her some time, but she had finally tracked down her quarry. Soon, she would have her revenge against the High Priestess of the Tattoon Tribe. With a wave of her hand, she invoked a spell as a mystic tattoo appeared on her forehead, causing her to disappear from sight.

To be continued...

Author's notes

For those of you who are wondering, yes, this time around there was no bloodbath, but that doesn't mean that there won't be more in future chapters. As for my solution to the Nabiki problem, well I figured that once Ranma realized that he doesn't have to handle everything by himself, then using the law to help him wouldn't be out of the question, right? As for the charges of pornography, yes, it's true that Japan has looser rules concerning nudity and such, but remember that it is always with the consent of the people involved. I asked a friend of mine who works with a Japanese officer and he told me that as long as it is with the consent of the persons involved, then the law isn't that harsh. However, did Nabiki ever ask for Ranma or Akane permission for those photos? Nope. She either took them without them knowing it, or blackmailed them. Furthermore, she sold those photos to Kuno and any other pervert, thereby inciting more trouble for Ranma. In real life, such action can be charged, even in Japan as invasion of privacy, as well as pornography of minors without any consent. And just remember, Nabiki is eighteen now and can be tried as an adult.

Even though Ranma's curse does make a difficult case in court, the little sting operation and Eric's preparations should be more than enough to at least give Nabiki a criminal record, which will make her life even harder. Getting a job may be all but impossible in Japan with a criminal past.

Well, enough about this chapter. In chapter nine, Shampoo and Cologne will soon learn just how powerful Eric has become and we'll also see the final confrontation between Happosai and our new Ranma.

That takes care of the final rewrite of the eight chapters. I've been having writer's block with ch.9 and the rewrites of the previous parts have helped me get over that. As for what's going to happen next, well... you'll just have to wait.


	9. Chapter 9: Ranma Vs Happosai, and It's N...

**Tattoon Ranma**

Disclaimer: Say What?

: Thoughts

**Chapter 9**

Ranma Vs Happosai, and It's Not Going to Be Pretty!

"Eric?"

It was late that night as the Tattoon High Priestess found her beloved leaning against the railing on the balcony of their apartment, while gazing absently at the starry sky. Only a few short hours ago, the former heir to the Saotome School of the Anything Goes Martial Arts had gotten the mercenary daughter of Soun Tendo arrested on charges that would most likely result in a long prison sentence for her. At the time, it had felt good to have finally gotten back at her, but now he started wondering if it had been right to destroy her future. Then again, she wouldn't have hesitated to destroy his plans for a new life, by forcing him to return to his old one.

"Are... you all right?" Balla asked gently.

"Yeah... I suppose." Eric answered with a bit of hesitation.

"So, why are you looking so... unsure? Is it about what you did to Nabiki Tendo?"

"No... Yeah... well, that's part of it."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything is so... different from what I had back in Nerima."

"Are you saying that you want to go back to that?"

"_NO! HELL NO!_" Ranma stiffened up as he shook his head. "Why would I want to go back to all that crap?"

Balla breathed a small sigh of relief. "Then, what's bothering you? You did the _RIGHT_ thing by calling the police, and exposing her for what she was. She's not going to cause trouble for you anymore."

"Yeah... it's just that things have changed so much, and I find myself doing things that I never did when I was just Ranma Saotome. I knew that things weren't going to be the same when I erased all my files at the National Register, and set myself up as Eric Kobayashi. Even though I completely let go of my past, it seems that my past doesn't want to let go of _ME_. Now, all of my troubles are coming back to me like a boomerang and..." He was a silent for a long time, as he thought back to the time that Ryoga had found him, and all the events that happened afterwards. "I feel as if I'm losing sight of who I am. I feel as if I'm starting to lose control again. I know I'm not Ranma Saotome anymore and I _BELIEVE_ I'm Eric Kobayashi, but the things that happened to me are making me doubt that."

"Talk to me, Eric. Tell me all about it."

Ranma could only smile, as he was still amazed that _SOMEONE_ was actually willing to listen to him; and a girl no less!

"When I fought Ryoga, I was so consumed with rage, that I didn't care about what I was doing to him. If you hadn't stopped me... I would've killed him. At the time, it wouldn't have made the slightest difference to me if he lived or died. I just wanted to pay him back for all the suffering and pain that he caused to me. I thought that by beating him to a bloody pulp, I could make all of that pain go away. Now that I've thought about it, I realized how empty I felt afterwards and how hollow that victory was. That pig had no right to have hurt Brody or attack me for those stupid reasons of his, but still..." Eric's voice trailed off as he sighed.

Balla nodded, then said, "I understand what your saying Eric. Up until now, the only you way you could fight back was with your fists. You've told me of your life and I have a pretty good idea of what you were like before I met you."

"Really?"

Balla nodded as she made the symbol on her forehead appear for a moment. "Remember, you and I have a very special bond. That bond allows me to understand you more each day. Before, you only knew of what your father taught you and you were never given a chance to decide for yourself. Now that you've abandoned those lessons, I think you're a bit uneasy at the fact that whatever choices you make now, will affect your future."

"I... guess." Ranma replied slowly. "Deciding for myself and doing what I want is a kick. It's just that I'm a bit afraid that the choices that I have made or will make may be the wrong ones."

"You'll never know unless you make them, Eric. That's what being able to make choices is all about. If you make some good choices then there's no sense in worrying about them. If they turn out to be bad ones, then at least you will learn from them and not make the same mistakes again. You did make some good choices after your fight with Ryoga. You could have killed Mousse, but instead you spared him and had him arrested. If he isn't put in prison, he'll at least be permanently deported.

You didn't lash out at that Kasumi person with fists, but with the truth about her family. And I'm especially proud of how you handled that Nabiki, by having her trap herself with her own words."

"Yeah. Though I'm still a bit... y'know, about this marriage thing? I wasn't exactly given a choice about that. Heck, I was only a year old when it happened."

"So was I." The Tattoon girl became a bit fearful as she asked, "So, are you still...?"

Ranma blushed a bit as he said, "Well, to tell you the truth... out of all the fiancées that I've had arranged for me, you're the only one that I... really like having around." _Even more so than I ever did with that bitch Akane!_ He silently added.

Balla smiled as a bit of red tinged her cheeks.

Ranma then became serious again as he continued to stare out into the night sky. "The others are out there and I will have to face them, sooner or later."

"Well, you won't face them alone, Eric." She then quietly took his right arm and moved close to him. When he didn't flinch or back away, she moved closer and said quietly, "Like I said before, I'll _ALWAYS_ be on your side."

The x-scarred martial artist was silent for a long while. Then, slowly but surely, he moved even closer to her as they gazed at the stars.

Balla then decided to ask him about what she had told her beloved earlier. "Eric? I was wondering..."

The former Saotome sighed and nodded. "You were wondering how I felt about her, right?"

"She is your mother, after all."

Eric shrugged. "Yeah, so what?"

"So... aren't you going to tell her that...?"

"That I'm really her son? No."

"Why not?"

"Why should I? I'm not a part of the Saotomes anymore, remember? Besides, my mother is just as dead to me as my so-called father."

"But Eric..."

"Ten years, Balla. It's been over ten years since I saw her and not once did she ever try to find her only son. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"But..."

"She left me to Genma. To me, that's even _WORSE_ than being abandoned."

"Eric, you're being too harsh. I've met and talked with her. She appears to be a very nice person."

"Hmph! And what do you think she'll say if she finds out that her favorite waiter is really her son? She'll tell Genma and bring trouble down on top of me that much faster. I'll deal with him, but only when I'm ready and on _MY_ terms."

"Still, you shouldn't deny your mother."

"What mother? She hasn't been my mother for over a decade. She was never there, when I was sad. She was never there, when I was lonely. She wasn't even there when I was hurt. She was never there, period. She just left me to Genma. I don't give a damn as to why she did that. As far as I'm concerned, she's nothing more than a stranger to me. I'm not going to make things more complicated by telling her the truth. Things were fine as they were, so I'm going to leave it at that."

"Eric..."

"And I don't want you telling her either. Promise me."

"I can't..."

"Promise me!"

Balla looked into his eyes and saw not hatred but absolute sadness. She couldn't stand to see him in that state, so after a long moment of silence, she nodded her head. This was something that her husband had to work out on his own.

The very next day at school...

"Hey Eric, what's up?" Deiner asked as he and Brody came up to their sometimes friend.

"Nuthin' that I want to talk about." Eric growled, giving the two fair warning not to press their luck.

Balla sighed behind him and hoped that his current mood would change soon. She began to worry that he was again sliding toward depression and potentially explosive personality. She hoped that it wouldn't come to the same situation as it had been with Ryoga and Mousse. At that point, the two boys decided to change the subject.

"Hey Eric. Did you hear the latest news?" Deiner asked.

"What?" The former son of Nodoka and Genma replied with total disinterest.

"Someone has been stealing a lot of women's underwear for the past week." Brody said.

"What... did you say?" This had caught Eric's attention as he had a feeling that he knew who the culprit was. Who else could it be?

"A lot of women have been reporting to the police that somebody has been going around at night, and swiping the bras and panties off their clotheslines." Deiner related.

"Whoever this guy is, he must be one sick puppy." Brody remarked.

It was at that moment that Lisa appeared to join in the conversation.

"Whoever this pervert is, he's not going to get away with it." The bow-wielding girl emphasized her words by holding up her weapon. "I almost brought him down last night."

"What are talking about, Lisa?" Deiner asked.

Lisa gave the boys a smug look as she told them of the events of the previous night.

Flashback...

Lisa was quietly meditating in her family's training hall. In front of her kneeling form was her bow. Her eyes were closed and her head was bowed down. A quiver of arrows was slung over her right shoulder. She had just finished a long session of target practice. On the other side of the training hall was a small target with more than twenty arrows stuck about its center. It had been a good night.

Down on the streets below, Happosai was cackling with glee. He was in his usual outfit for his nightly panty raid, and a large bag of unmentionables was slung over his back. Even though Ranma wasn't around to prevent him from his usual perverted antics, Happy had found that stealing women's underwear in a new city had its appeal. There were just so many new varieties and locations, that the ancient lecher couldn't resist and was hard at work, building a new collection. At that moment he caught sight of a very nice pair of pink panties that was swaying on an outside rack.

"_WOO HOO! COME TO HAPPY!_"

With one great leap, Happosai reached out to snatch his latest treasure.

_**FFFFFFTTT! THOK!**_

The old lecher stopped suddenly and pulled back his hand, just a heartbeat before an arrow suddenly appeared and embedded itself in the wooden support beam beside the clothes rack. If he had moved an instant slower, then his hand would have been skewered.

"Whoa! What's this?" The ancient pervert turned and saw a very angry heir to the Fujimatsu School of Short-Range Archery.

"So you're the Underwear Thief that's been stealing panties and bras for the last week! How dare you invade my home with your perversions?! Prepare to die!"

"Now wait a minute! Don't get so upset over one little pair of panties..." Happy began but was cut off when Lisa began launching arrows in rapid succession like a submachine gun.

Not expecting such a hostile reaction and being weighed down with his night's work, the Master of the Anything Goes Martial Arts was bit unprepared for the barrage. He evaded each arrow without getting hit. His large sack of unmentionables however, was not as lucky.

_**FFFFFTTTT! RIIIIIIPPPP!**_

"_NOOOO! ALL MY PRETTIES!_"

As always, Genma and Soun's sensei was a total slave to his perversions. As soon as all that underwear spilled out, he instantly forgot about his situation and went scrambling to retrieve them. Unfortunately for him, whenever he became distracted, he became an easy target for even non-martial artists. Lisa was quick to take advantage of Happosai's lapse in judgment. Even worse for him, was that his back was turned and he was bending over to pick up the underwear, presenting the girl with an irresistible bullseye. At that instant, she launched her special Thousand-Neck Rending Arrow.

_**FFFFFTTTTTTT!**_

The old martial artist tried to dodge... but he didn't quite make it.

_**THOK! THOK! THOK! THOK! THOK!**_

"_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!_"

Happosai ran off in a flash, clutching at the seat of his pants and forgetting his bundle of purloined panties. Lisa was left standing with a smile on her face. Though her wash had gotten caught in the crossfire and had been shredded, the loss had been worth it.

End of flashback...

"I'm sure that Underwear Thief got the _POINT_!" Lisa said with a smile.

Eric's mouth became a straight line after hearing this. There was no doubt about it. Lisa had encountered Happosai, though Eric could imagine that the old pervert was having a hard time of trying to sit down at this moment. However, this incident would probably have made the little runt even madder and Balla's husband could only expect more trouble.

At a certain hotel...

"_OW! OW! OW!_"

Happosai winced as he gently lay down on his belly on the bed. He had spent the night removing the five sharp spikes that had found their way to his posterior. Even with his rapid healing, it was going to take him a couple of days to recover. He hadn't expected that arrow to explode into a swarm of metal, barb-tipped slivers. However, the most infuriating part of that panty raid, was the fact that he had been forced to abandon an entire night's work.

As the old lecher winced and groaned, while trying to think of a way to recoup his losses, Soun was bawling his eyes out. After hearing that his daughter was now in jail, the emotional martial artist had been crying nonstop over how the arrest was marring the Tendo name. Furthermore, there was no way that they could pay for Nabiki's bail, and the evidence against her was so overwhelming, that it was very likely that she was heading for some prison time. They were even more shocked to hear that Ranma was the one who had turned her in.

After hearing the news, Akane was blaming Ranma for their predicament, and was promising immense pain for when she caught up to him. As for Kasumi, she had tried to console her father, but with no such luck. However, unlike before, she was not saying that things would work out. After her encounter with Ranma... no, Eric, she had finally come to terms with reality. It was now obvious to her that he wanted nothing to do with her family and that it may be best to leave him be. She had suggested to her father to give up on the pledge to unite the schools and head back to Nerima.

However, both Genma and Soun proved to be more stubborn than a herd of mules and maintained that despite what had happened to Nabiki, the Schools must be joined. Genma was unwilling to abandon his dream of a long and luxurious retirement, and Soun was blinded by pride and obsession.

Things were now getting to the point of no return and dire consequences would soon be felt among the Tendo Clan.

At this point, Eric had come to a decision. Instead of waiting for Happosai to find him, he decided to take the battle to the old lecher. With that in mind, he began to plan. After taking out from a drawer, a small notebook that contained certain phone numbers, he went over to the phone and began dialing. A few moments later, a person answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Detective Nagata?" Eric said. "I have some more information concerning the whereabouts of the infamous Underwear Thief. He's here in Hiroshima. I may be able to help you in apprehending him..."

A few days later...

"Eric? Are you sure about this?"

The person who had been Ranma Saotome nodded as he prepared to head out. "It has to be done. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to confront him. I'd like it to be much later or never, but this is something that can't be ignored."

"I could help..." Balla began, but was stopped when her beloved held up a hand while shaking his head.

"No. That little gnome thrives on groping females and underwear. It would be best if you weren't anywhere near him. The last thing I'd want is for him to lay his grubby hands on you." Eric said this with a hard edge to his voice. "This fight's been long in coming. It's time that I settled things with that lech."

"If he's really as formidable as you've told me, then you could use my help and..."

Eric shook his head again. "It's okay, Balla. I do know his weak spots. Also, I've gotten a lot better since I left Nerima, plus I have these to fall back on." He raised his hands, while letting his secondary tattoos appear for a moment.

Balla was still worried though. "Be careful Eric. Don't force those secondary tattoos. Let them come out gradually, otherwise you might strain yourself and cause damage to your body."

"I'll be okay." The x-scarred martial artist assured then gazed for a long time at the Tattoon Priestess. He still couldn't get over the fact that someone was actually on his side, and was a girl to boot. When he had left Nerima, he had practically sworn off all females. In just a short while, the blonde girl had not only gotten him to open up again, but had established a place in his heart. There was no denying it any more. She was now a part of him and he could not stand the thought of her coming to any harm. She was special, of that much he was certain. Although he was still unwilling to admit to himself, that she meant more to him than all of his former fiancées combined, at least he could depend on her for support when he needed it.

Seeing the concern in her eyes, Eric then did something that he had never done before with Akane or any of the other girls. He leaned forward and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. For one brief moment, the marks on their foreheads appeared and glowed in tandem, signifying their bond. Then Eric left to face the one who had caused him much turmoil in Tokyo.

Balla could only watch as her husband departed. She silently prayed to her tribe's deities to keep him safe.

A few dozen blocks away...

"_WAHOO! WHAT A HAUL! WHAT A HAUL!_"

After recovering from his encounter with Lisa, Happosai was back to his usual antics, trying to make up for lost time. However, he was so confident that no one would be able to stop him, that he was throwing caution to the wind and was stealing underwear in broad daylight. And in this case, that was a grave error in judgement. As he darted back and forth between houses, snatching bras and panties from their clotheslines, he was unaware that he was being tracked.

The police departments of Hiroshima and Tokyo had been working together, and had set up numerous hidden camera and stakeout positions, throughout the areas near Eric's school and workplace. They had been lying in wait for several days, and it had only been a matter of time before they began making sightings of the little pervert. Since the ancient Grandmaster was so intent on his collection, he was not aware that he was under surveillance. The police knew who he was and the evidence was now piling up.

Detective Nagata nodded as he saw Happosai bounce by his unmarked car. Everything was going to plan as he radioed his fellow officers. It would soon be up to Eric to spring the trap.

The hooded stranger paused as she stood on a nearby rooftop. Something was happening. On her forehead, a mystic tattoo appeared, alerting her of a presence of someone, with energies that were on a similar wavelength as her own.

_Could it be? Is... that Balla? No... it's someone else, but I can feel the connection to her. Hmmm... it could be the one that Balla had been promised to. This bears looking into._

After contemplating the matter for a few moments, the girl decided to investigate. She made another tattoo appear on the back of her right hand, then vanished.

Happosai was having a ball. Nothing could stop him from beating his all-time personal best, especially since Ranma wasn't...

_**SHOOM! RIP!**_

The old lecher was taken completely by surprise when a bolt of light appeared from out of nowhere and tore a gaping hole in his bag. His purloined female unmentionables went flying.

"_NOOOOOO! NOT MY SILKY DARLINGS!_"

Now one would think that he would have learned from his previous errors, but Happosai was too set in his ways to change now. Like a conditioned reflex, he focused all of his attention on retrieving his load of stolen underwear. And that was when he was sent flying forward when Eric suddenly came up from behind with a flying side-kick.

**_WHABOOM!_**

The ancient pervert shot like a rocket, and slammed hard into the side of a laundry truck, smashing into the cargo hold. Happosai found himself buried under piles of undergarments, but of a different type.

Now this particular truck had just picked up a load of laundry from a prison, specifically a prison full of _MEN_. And none of those prison uniforms, socks, shirts and underwear had been washed in over two weeks! One can imagine what was happening.

"_EEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW! YUCK! UGH! GROSS! I CAN'T BREATHE! LET ME OUT OF HERE!_"

Eric smiled as he waited for the weakened Happosai to emerge from the truck. He knew from experience that the old lecher's main source of energy was from fondling female flesh and their underwear. The feel and smell of male flesh had the opposite effect, draining him of his power and made him even more vulnerable. Though he hated the little pervert, Eric still considered him a formidable opponent and weakening him first would help in bringing Happosai down for keeps. The police had thought it strange that he would request a truck full of unwashed men's clothing, but they did as he had asked. It was all part of the plan. To make certain, he quickly gathered up all the underwear that Happosai had dropped and tossed them into a nearby car trunk, which happened to belong to an undercover cop. It wouldn't do for the runt to have any chance to recharge his batteries. Several other police officers were hiding in strategic locations, just waiting for the signal to go in and arrest the criminal.

Happosai came sputtering out of the back of the truck, throwing off socks and other articles of clothes that had stuck to him. "_ICK!_ There's nothing that makes a person sick like the smell of a man! I'm so dizzy! I need my pretties!"

"Tough. You ain't getting any."

Happosai knew that irritating, cocky voice. He looked up and his eyes narrowed as he beheld his former disciple. The new hairstyle, different clothes and the scar on his forehead did not fool the old lecher. The aura was the same, though it had a bit more enchantment about it than Happosai remembered. He assumed incorrectly that it was the Jusenkyo curse.

"_YOU!_"

Eric shrugged as he stood with his arms crossed. "Yeah. It's me."

The old pervert then smiled evilly as he realized that he didn't need his bag of underwear. A good groping of Ranma's female side would be even better than a week's worth of panty raids. "Well, well, well. So I finally found you."

Eric showed no fear, nor concern as he took a stance. "I had a feeling that you were the one behind all those recent underwear thefts." Eric then snorted. "Who else could it be?"

Happosai shrugged as he also took a stance. "Hey, a guy's got to keep in shape, right? I almost beat my old panty raid record until you came along."

What Happosai didn't know was that his words were sealing his fate. The undercover officers had also set up several hidden cameras and audio recorders around the area. Irrefutable evidence was building up against him.

"Now then, how should you pay for ruining my fun, hmmm?" Happosai taunted.

The ancient lecher did not bother Eric in the slightest. Balla's beloved knew exactly what he was thinking about. Well, he was in for quite a shock.

"_I KNOW!_" Happosai said in mock inspiration. "You'll simply come back to the dojo and let my cry in your ample bosom for... oh, say for the rest of your life!"

"You think can make me? Then come on!" Eric dared.

Happosai leapt at his former student, intending on the quick knockout, then splash with cold water and grope. However, as he neared Ranma, he realized that he was a lot slower and that he was feeling some slight nausea. Coordination was off and he didn't feel as much pep as he had before being in that truck.

_Uh oh! Those stinky clothes must have weakened me more than I thought! I better..._

Happosai had just gotten out his pipe to try and flip his opponent, but Eric had long since learned from his mistakes and had anticipated the move. Feinting to the left, then spinning about in a roundhouse kick, he avoided the pipe as Happosai reached out to try and hook his arm with it. Eric's foot came around and slammed hard into the old man's back. This sent the Master of the Anything Goes back into the laundry truck!

"_YEEEEEEEEEEEUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKK! ICK! ICK! ICK!_" Happosai felt more of his strength draining away.

Eric went into another stance as he prepared for his adversary's next attack. He was so focused on dealing with his foe, that he did not notice that someone else was watching.

High above on the roof of a nearby building, the stranger had appeared and gazed down toward the street. She nodded as she pulled down her hood and revealed an attractive face with red hair.

Balla's older sister Kandor smiled as she watched the events unfold.

_Interesting. I can sense Tattoon power from this one, but I also sense my sister's essence as well._ It was then that she noticed the scar on Eric's forehead. _So, my little sister is married now. Well, I think I've just found a way to get at Balla._

Down on the street, Happosai realized that he was in trouble. Ranma wasn't fighting like he used to. His former disciple had abandoned his flashy, airborne style for more direct and brutal tactics. He wasn't fighting recklessly or letting his cockiness or pride get in the way. He was all business. There were far less openings in his defense and each move was now more calculated. The preparation with the laundry truck was a good example that the boy was thinking more on strategy, rather than trying to dazzle him with style. A large amount of Happy's ki had been drained, and Ranma wasn't giving him any chance to recharge.

"Is that all you've got? You hit like a girl." Happy taunted.

_**WHABOOM!**_

"Heh. Lucky shot. Bet you can't do that again!"

_**WHACK!**_

"You're... a thousand lifetimes too early to beat me!"

_**THOP!**_

"Maybe... you... should turn... into a girl. That was... the... only... way... you could beat... me."

_**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! CRACK!**_

The old pervert went tumbling back again. The Founding School of the Anything Goes Martial Arts mirrored Genma's fighting style. It relied heavily on getting one's opponent mad and therefore careless, but Happosai's foe wasn't snapping at the bait any more. He had thrown several taunts and such at the x-scarred martial artist, but Eric simply ignored them and concentrated on pressing the attack. With his perversion-fueled ki at low levels, Happosai began to feel fatigue far sooner than he usually did. He needed a breather.

"_HAPPO-FIRE BURST!_"

However, just as he was about to throw his patented Fuse-Bomb Attack, Eric thrust out a hand and the tattoo on the back of his hand appeared, causing a blast of wind to appear. The ancient pervert was caught totally off-guard and was sent flying back, along with his bomb. Guess where they landed?

"_YUCK! ICK! ICK! NO MORE!_"

That was when the bomb went off.

**_KABOOM!_**

Happosai was sent flying upward, along with several articles of dirty laundry. When he came back down, he was absolutely _PISSED_! As he glared at Eric, he wondered just how he had done that wind technique. The old lecher was familiar with the Hiryu Shoten Ha, but the boy had not led him into a spiral, nor kept calm. In fact, his aura was burning hotter than ever.

"It's time we settled things, once and for all." Eric growled. "You're going _DOWN_!"

Getting into a ready stance of his own, the ancient master began channeling what little of his perverted ki he had left. He wasn't going to be defeated by some snot-nosed punk! However, he wasn't certain if he had the strength. Things began to seem even grimmer as Eric's tattoos began to appear.

_Huh? Wait a minute! Since when did Ranma have tattoos? And why do I sense more magic emanating from him? It seems to be coming from those markings and... oh no!_ Happosai's eyes widened as he realized something. That wind technique that Eric had used had taken Happosai by surprise, because it had not been based on ki, but rather on magic. There was no mistake about it. Ranma had somehow gotten a hold on some kind of mystic energy and that gave him a distinct advantage.

Just as Happosai realized what he was up against, Ranma's aura flared, and then the martial artist disappeared from sight. Happosai looked about, trying to discern his foe's position, but his ki senses were at low ebb, due to the dirty laundry, and detecting magical energy was far more difficult.

_**CRUNCH!**_

The pervert let off a scream of pain as Eric suddenly reappeared behind him and shot out a kick. The ancient lecher had tried to dodge, but his reflexes were slower and his opponent had correctly guessed which way he would try to evade. The foot connected with the junction of Happy's left knee, causing it to be dislocated.

Happy rolled away, favoring his left leg and tried to escape. However, Eric wasn't going to let him as his tattoos flared again and released more power. Another gust of wind was summoned, causing Happy to be tossed into the air again. This time, the air pressure created a hard pressure which hit like a battering ram. Eric leapt up and thrust out with his right leg, aiming for his opponent's face. With the power backing the kick, Happy knew that this was going to hurt as he braced for impact.

_**WHOMP!**_

It _DID_ hurt! Ranma's blows were packing far more power than Happy had remembered, since the last time they had fought. He landed hard on the pavement. Whatever magic Ranma had gotten a hold of was somehow boosting his personal power. Either that or his battle aura had gotten more potent since he left Nerima. The ancient martial artist had just barely gotten to his feet when Ranma charged in.

**_WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!_**

Several more blows got through Happy's rapidly degrading defenses. He had to credit his former pupil. Usually, Happy's speed was his greatest asset, to make up for the short reach of his limbs. Then there was the inhuman strength and endurance that he had from his perversions. The dirty men's underwear had sapped his speed, strength and reflexes enough for his opponent to have an advantage. Added to the fact was that he knew some kind of magical spells. Happy tried several more of his techniques against Eric, but they weren't enough. Ranma had experienced many of the lecher's maneuvers during his stay at the Tendo Dojo and had long since learned from his mistakes.

Every move he attempted, Eric would have a counter. Every time he tried to snag him with his pipe, Eric would dodge, then strike back. Eventually, one hit snapped the pipe in two, thereby shortening Happosai's reach even further. He attempted the Interdimensional Warp technique and faded from view. However, there were three problems. First, he couldn't attack when he was like that. Second, it drained his ki even further, and third, he couldn't hide from Eric's mystic senses. With one hard roundhouse, Eric's fist connected at what seemed to be empty air.

_**WHAM!**_

Genma and Soun's master reappeared and was sent flying into a wall of a nearby building. This time, Eric's foe couldn't ignore the pain as he got up again. He running out of tricks as Eric advanced to finish him off.

Happosai found himself getting desperate. If this battle continued to drag on, he'd be the loser. However, he still had his ace-in the-hole. Now if he could only get into position. Mustering up his remaining stores of energy, he threw out another fusebomb.

Eric simply swatted the explosive away. The bomb blew up harmlessly to one side, thereby providing a slight distraction. Happosai then disappeared from sight.

Balla's beloved wasn't fooled by the ruse. His tattoos came into sight again and his aura flared, just as Happosai appeared behind him and reached out for a spot on Eric's back.

"_EEEEEEEEYYYYAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!_"

Happosai felt as if he had run into a raging inferno when he hit Ranma's battle aura. He felt his skin suddenly flare in pain as he was sent flying backward, landing hard on his back some twenty feet away. He looked down and saw that the front of his gi was charred and he now sported several serious burns. He looked up and saw his former student once again approach him.

"Not this time, you little freak." Eric growled. "I'm not about to let you drain my strength with that Moxibustion Point again." He held up his hands and cracked the knuckles. "It's over."

It was at that time that Kandor decided to intervene. Raising a hand and making the tattoo on it appear, she then directed her energies at Eric.

Eric could taste the impending victory. He had worn the old lecher down and Happosais bag of tricks was almost empty. However, just as he was powering up his aura and Tattoon powers for the final assault, a sharp stabbing pain flared in his head.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!_"

All of his tattoos began glowing like hot coals, especially his Primary Mark. In an instant, Eric felt as if he was in Hell as his body started convulsing. He held his head and thrashed about as the pain began to increase.

Kandor smiled. The connection between her sister and this man would soon have Balla making an appearance.

Eric's apartment...

Balla's head suddenly came up as the mark on her forehead appeared. She shivered as the sensations of pain and anguish from Eric, nearly flooded her entire being. Eric was in trouble.

Balla got up and immediately cast a spell to transport her to her beloved's side.

Happosai wondered why Ranma had suddenly stopped when he was about to achieve victory. He didn't understand what was going on, but he wasn't about to let an opportunity slip by. As his adversary convulsed in pain, the old man got up and staggered toward his helpless target. With one leap, he touched a spot on Ranma's back and activated the Moxibustion Point.

Eric let off another scream as he felt the strength in his body leave him, which made the pain in his body even more unbearable. His hands clenched his head even tighter as it felt as if it was about to burst.

On the roof...

Kandor smiled. It wouldn't be long now. She then looked down at the person that Eric had been attacking and got another idea. Directing some of her energies at Happosai, she began infusing him with added power, thereby healing his injuries and replenishing his stores of ki.

The ancient master of the Anything Goes wondered why his body wasn't feeling any more pain and that it was feeling stronger than before. He smiled evilly as he naturally assumed that he was getting his second wind. Now Ranma would pay for disrespecting his master! And with his strength currently removed...

Eric barely had time to raise his arms to defend when Happy shot forward in a jump kick. However, with no strength, the martial artist was sent flying backward and slammed into a nearby parked car.

"Heh. Not so feeling so high and mighty now, are you Ranma?" The pervert taunted.

The x-scarred fighter knew that he was in trouble.

Balla appeared nearby and saw her husband in severe pain. She began running toward him.

"Eric!"

It was then that Happosai spotted her and launched himself at her ample bosom.

"_HOTCHA! COME TO HAPPY!_"

However, the Tattoon Priestess was far from helpless. As soon as the little lecher came close, she instinctively put up a protective barrier, causing him to be deflected away. However, when it came to pretty girls, Happosai wasn't one to give up so easily.

"Aw come on sweetie! Don't be mean!" He then launched himself repeatedly at the shield, only to be turned away each time.

By now, Eric could stand no more. He didn't know what was causing this pain, but it was secondary compared to what was happening now. Even the loss of his strength meant nothing! That pervert was daring to force himself on Balla, the only person in which Eric cared about the most! She was the only person who ever listened to him! She was the only person who understood him! That was it, Happosai was _DEAD_!

Summoning up the strength that he never knew he had, Eric let off a roar of pure rage as his battle aura exploded. This made all the police officers in hiding back off from the sudden burst of light. The entire city block was lit up like a solar flare.

This event caused the old lecher to pause in his attempt to grope Balla. He turned and saw Ranma glowing with an aura like the sun's corona. New tattoos began appearing all over his body as the current ones also became visible. His face contorted in a mask of pure anger, all focused on his tormentor.

Kandor let off her own cry of pain and staggered back. She had never expected such feedback and she was forced to severe the connection. She looked down at her sister and her husband and watched the confrontation reach its climax.

Balla gasped as she realized what was happening. "_ERIC! DON'T FORCE THEM!_"

However, Eric was beyond reason at the moment as more tattoos appeared. On his back, the Mark of The Moxibustion Point smoked a bit, then disintegrated as another Secondary Tattoo appeared. His Tattoon Powers were rejecting the foreign symbol and its effects. Eric's strength returned all at once as he charged at his foe.

Happosai smirked. Ranma's aura was impressive, but with his strength gone, there was no way he could hurt him and...

**_WHABOOM!_**

Happosai received the full force of Eric's punch in the kisser. He slammed hard into a street sign, causing it to snap in two. Before he even had time to think, Eric plowed another fist into his chest, causing three ribs to buckle and snap. Even though Happy had gotten some of his strength back from Kandor's spell, it wasn't enough compared to a rage-enhanced Ranma, especially when he had Tattoon Power. Eric began dishing out punishment on a level that made Ryoga and Mousse's beatings seem trifling, all within the span of a couple of heartbeats. His speed and power were mind-blowing as he took Genma and Soun's teacher apart.

_**WHAM!**_

Broken right arm.

_**CRACK! CRACK! **_

Both legs.

_**WHOMP!**_

Ruptured spleen.

_**CRUNCH!**_

Broken left Arm.

_**WHACK! WHACK! THOP! WHAM!**_

Various face bones.

_**WHAM! WHAM!**_

Nearly collapsed ribcage.

_**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!**_

How many of Happosai's bones have Eric not broken?

After several more hits, Eric held up a bloodied Happosai by the front of his gi and snarled. "_DON'T... EVER... TOUCH... BALLA!_" He then cocked back his fist to deliver the final blow.

"_NO ERIC! PLEASE! DONT DO IT!_"

Once again, Balla's voice of reason penetrated Eric's haze of rage and anguish. However, it took several agonizing moments before he unclenched his fist and let the battered lecher fall to the ground in an unconscious heap. Then he too fell to the pavement.

The Tattoon Priest ran to her beloved's side, knelt down and cradled his head in her arms. She held him close to her and whispered to him. "Shhh. It's all right Eric. It's all over. I'll take care of you."

Eric opened his eyes and smiled weakly at her. Then he asked in faltering voice. "Did... I win? Did I... beat him?"

Balla nodded. "Yes. You won. Now hush. Save your strength."

Eric chuckled a bit, though it hurt him to do so. "I did it. I finally... beat... that old... freak." He then lapsed into unconsciousness as his tattoos faded away. The area began to dim as the light of his aura also faded away.

Balla used her mystic senses to check on Happosai's condition. After making certain that he wasn't going to die, she then remembered what Eric had told her about him. She decided on some measures to insure that the old pervert would never again cause trouble to her husband. With a simple gesture, she drew a mark on Happosai's forehead, which then faded into his skin. She nodded as she then invoked a second spell to make herself and her beloved vanish, leaving the master of the Anything Goes to his fate.

Kandor had seen enough. It seemed that both her sister and her husband were stronger opposition than she had originally believed. She would have to give this some more thought. She then faded from herself.

The police officers had just begun emerging from where they had taken cover during the sudden light show. When they came into view, all they could see was a devastated landscape and only Happosai in a broken heap. Eric was nowhere in sight.

Detective Nagata and his group slowly began approaching the battered form of their suspect. When they got to him, they saw that he wasn't going to get up for a while and decided this was the best time to take him in. A few officers went over to handcuff him as Nagata turned to his partner Tanaka.

"Did anyone get any of that on film?"

The sergeant shook his head. "Whatever that light was, caused the cameras to develop static, but the recorders did catch the first part of the suspect's confession. That and all the other evidence that we've got on him, plus all the witnesses back in Nerima should be more than enough to nail that little sucker to the wall."

"Well, I guess that will be enough. I wonder what happened to Kobayashi?"

"I don't know, but he really went overboard back there. I think he went too far in subduing the suspect. We may have to issue out a warrant..."

"Leave him be."

"What?"

"I said leave him be."

"But sir, he..."

"May I remind you of the deal that he made with the chief? In return for the information about the Underwear Thief and other criminals in Nerima, plus any aid in arresting them, he was to be given _FULL_ immunity from any and all investigations about him. That was the deal."

"Yeah, but..."

"Do you think we could have brought down the Underwear Thief by ourselves?"

Tanaka paused for a moment, then shook his head. The police had been trying for over a year with no luck.

Nagata nodded. "Thanks to him, we'll be able to close several hundred unsolved cases of petty theft, and other more serious crimes. I think we can bend the rules this one time. He didn't kill anyone and we _DON'T_ have any solid evidence against him, do we?"

"Well... no." Tanaka had to agree, since the cameras had nothing but static and none of the other officers witness the beating, since they had the light had blinded them all.

"Like I said, forget about Kobayashi. He's already done more than his fair share as a concerned citizen." Nagata silently added. _And I've seen that look in his eyes that he's already been through a lot of pain. He doesn't need any more trouble._

"Well, okay... you're the one in charge of the operation."

Nagata nodded as he added. "Oh, and remember about the information that Kobayashi gave us. The suspect is to have _ZERO_ contact with anything female. That means no bras, panties, _OR_ women. Make sure that only _MALE_ officers are assigned to guard him until he's fit enough to stand trial."

"Roger."

At the apartment...

"Oh, my poor Eric."

Balla had laid her husband down on the futon and was currently tending to his wounds with her healing powers. The damage to his body had been extensive, due to the sudden emergence of his new Secondary Tattoos. Instead of letting his tattoos come out naturally, he had forced them to appear, thereby straining his body to its limits to overcome the Moxibustion Point. His ki had also been severely taxed and it would take a while for his stores to replenish and stabilize themselves. However, the greatest injury of all was to his very soul.

The Tattoon Priestess had been concerned with Eric's mental and emotional stability for some time now. For a while, she had thought that he had begun to gain control over his anger, but today he had nearly lost it all again. The road to recovery was going to be an uphill battle.

As she continued with her ministrations, she began detecting the faint traces of someone else's spiritual essence. She started to suspect that someone, other than the people from Eric's past, was the cause of him losing control. She gasped as she recognized the mystic signature.

_Kandor! It couldn't be... could it?_

Balla knew that if her sister was in Hiroshima, then that meant more trouble was on the horizon. If she was responsible for putting her husband in such a state, then the younger sibling had to be very careful when she confronted her. As she did all that she could to heal Eric's wounds, she leaned even closer to the unconscious martial artist and whispered lovingly in his ear.

"Eric... whatever happens, I'll _ALWAYS_ be with you. I love you."

She then finished with her spells and decided that rest would be the best thing for him at the moment. She then got up and went to the kitchen to prepare some herbal remedies for when he would awaken.

She did not see Eric opening his eyes slightly as she walked over the kitchen. As his eyes gazed upon a blurry image of her, he replied in the quietest of whispers.

"I... love you too, Balla."

Eric then slipped back into unconsciousness again.

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Well, when the title said that it wasn't going to be pretty, it wasn't, for both Happy and Eric/Ranma. As you can see, not all of Ranma's confrontations with the Nerima Crew are going to be just simple beat-downs. With the appearance of Balla's vengeful sister, things are going to start heating up.


	10. Chapter 10: Sins of the Past

**Tattoon Ranma**

Disclaimer: Once upon a disclaimer...

: Thoughts

**Chapter 10**

Sins of the Past

The day after the fight with Happosai...

"I'm not helpless and I feel fine!" Eric said gruffly as he tried to get up. "Ow, ow, ow!"

However, his Tattoon girlfriend shook her head as she gently pressed her significant other back down on the futon. It was a simple, gentle push with her right hand on his chest. Normally, that would not have stopped Eric, but the injuries he had sustained during his battle with Happosai had made his body extremely weak and sore. The High Priestess had no problems in holding down her beloved and keeping him from further aggravating his wounds. Using a simple spell of restraint, she then went about the business of adding an herbal salve to his torso and arms. Eric found himself unable to rise. Currently, he was only clothed in his dark pants.

"You are still in no condition to exert yourself, Eric." Balla warned as she applied the white substance to his well-defined pectorals. "When you forced more of your Secondary Marks to appear, it nearly tore your body apart. This special salve I made should ease the soreness and help speed up your recovery."

The martial artist's nose wrinkled at the smell of the medication. "Eeeewww! This stuff reeks!"

"It may smell bad, but it's good for you."

"Why can't you just use a healing spell, like you did before with Brody and me? You didn't have any trouble after I pounded Ryoga."

Balla shook her head again. "Structural damage I can mend, but your injuries deal with Tattoon Power this time, and that's trickier. I managed to repair some of the damage, but it will take a while before your body replenishes the energies it used up, when your new Secondary Marks were forced to appear. This medicine will relax your muscles and ease the process of adapting to the new marks."

"I'm not helpless! I can..."

Balla immediately shushed him by placing an index finger over his lips. She leaned forward and tenderly kissed his Primary Mark before adding more of the salve.

Eric soon calmed down as he realized that the blonde girl was not going to brook any more arguments. He sighed in defeat and his face took on a softer expression. "Oh all right. You win... for now."

The High Priestess smiled in triumph as she finished administering the salve and went to wash her hands. She returned to her love and knelt down beside him. She took a quick glance at her handiwork and nodded. The salve was already working its way into his flesh, and his body was giving off indications of a slow, but steady recovery. Ki levels would take some time to restore themselves, but she could tell by her own mystic senses, that her husband's body and spiritual essence were accepting the new Secondary Marks. Once they were completely assimilated, they would begin synchronizing their power with the marks that were already established. Overall, her beloved was well on his way to realizing his full Tattoon abilities.

On that thought, she decided to pose a few questions to him. "Eric?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you force your new tattoos to appear? You could have died. What happened?"

The fighter that had formally been known as Ranma Saotome pondered her questions for a moment before answering. "I... don't know. Something happened yesterday. I'm not sure exactly, but something made my Tattoon Powers turn against me. I was just about to finish that little pervert off when my body suddenly heated up and I lost control of my arms and legs. I never felt such... pain. It felt as if I was being torn from the inside out."

_I have a feeling that I know who it was._ Balla silently thought as she nodded for him to continue.

"Then that freak managed to nail me with the Moxibustion Point."

"What's that?"

"It's a pressure point that takes away a person's strength, making him as weak as a baby. It leaves a small mark on the back. I had it once before, but there is a release point that could have restore my strength. The problem was that only that old ghoul Cologne could do it, as far as I knew.

The Tattoon High Priestess nodded as she remembered him telling her about the Amazons.

Eric continued. "When I saw that little pervert trying to grope you, I just... lost it. I wanted the strength to stop him and kick his ass so hard, I didn't care what happened to me. So I just focused everything I had into my tattoos and... you know what happened after that."

Balla nodded again as she tenderly placed a hand on Eric's cheek. "You inadvertently forced new Secondary Marks to appear in order to augment your existing ones. Most likely they rejected that Moxibustion Point and canceled out its effects. That was very dangerous. You could have killed yourself."

"I guess, but I couldn't stand the thought of that little gnome touching you and..." He felt his cheeks redden a bit at this admission.

Balla felt tears of happiness well up in her eyes as Eric admitted that he truly did care for her. However, she quickly turned her head and blinked away the tears before facing him again. Unknown to him, she had heard him admit that he did love her. She had wanted him to say it again, but decided not to press him until he was ready. She felt the desire to embrace him hard and never let go, but in his injured state, that would not be the wisest thing to do. Instead, she settled for another light kiss on his forehead.

"So you really do care." She gave him her most brilliant smile.

Eric couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah, I guess I do."

In another part of Hiroshima, Balla's older sister fumed. She had just recovered from the mystic feedback she had received from Eric and was now trying to think of a new scheme of revenge against her sibling. Currently, she was sitting in the park in front of a statue as she contemplated her next move.

Kandor, age nineteen, was a striking beauty in her own right. Unlike her sister, she had reddish-brown hair instead of gold. It was cropped short, as opposed to Balla's topknot and braided sideburns. Her figure was slim, yet somewhat athletic compared to her sister's buxom form. Unlike the tribal wear that Balla usually sported, Kandor was garbed in more modern clothes, which included a pair of black, skintight shorts, running shoes, blouse and jacket.

However, despite her attractive appearance and Tattoon Powers, Kandor was unhappy at the fact that she was still considered as inferior as compared to her younger sister. In fact, that was what she resented the most about Balla. Despite being born first, their father had long-since decided that the younger daughter would someday be the High Priestess of the tribe, a position in which Kandor had thought was hers by right. The chief had even gone as far as arrange a marriage for Balla when she was a year old, in order to cement her position as the future supreme mystic and seer.

Throughout most of her life, Kandor had felt as if she had constantly been living in Balla's shadow. Her younger sister was considered the little 'gifted one' and would be doted on by their parents and other members of their tribe. Balla and Kandor's father Shiror had later intended to have his eldest daughter become a Lorekeeper, which was a respected position in itself, but she flatly rejected it. After a heated argument with him and the Elders, she left the Tattoon Tribe forever.

Flashback to three years ago, in the hidden valley of the Tattoon Tribe...

"What? You can't be serious!" Kandor protested as she had just been told that she would replace the aging Head Lorekeeper.

Shiror nodded as he maintained a firm expression. "I do not see why you are not happy with this. It is a position of great importance. As Head Lorekeeper, you will be in charge of all the wisdom, artifacts and knowledge of our tribe, which has been passed down throughout the centuries."

"In other words, I'll be nothing more than a librarian! A keeper of crumbling parchment and old relics! A guardian of junk!" Kandor spat back. "Why is it that I wasn't given the position of High Priestess? I was born before Balla!"

Shiror took a deep breath as he tried to calm down his rebellious child. "Kandor, you know as well as I do that the position of High Priestess is no one's birthright. It is through the will of the Elders that the one who becomes High Priestess is chosen. The Council had sensed the potential within your sister the day she was born and had decreed that she would take up the position when she became sixteen."

"That's not fair! I have trained as hard as she has and I have at least two years more experience!" The girl protested.

"Kandor! That will be enough!" Shiror said sternly. The glare he received from his daughter only made the Tattoon chief angrier as he barely kept his temper in check. "I have been patient with you thus far, since you are my daughter. Though you may not believe it, I love you as much as I do your sister. However, I cannot go against the will of the Elders. Their decision for Balla to become the High Priestess is final."

"_LIES!_" The fiery girl spat back. "You've always loved Balla more than me, your first child! The way you and mother always doted on her! You had something to do with the Council's decision, didn't you?"

"That's not true..."

"I don't want to hear it! You and everyone else are against me! I can see that now!"

"Kandor, that is not true and you know it. Please, do not your anger cloud your judgment or your heart. I want only the best for my children and I care very deeply for the both of you."

"You don't care! You never cared! All you cared about was Balla! It wouldn't have mattered if I went off and died!"

"Now you know that is not true!" Shiror stated firmly. "When you started using the forbidden Dark Arts, I put my position as chief on the line, and convinced the Council not to have you executed for wielding such power. I did so, because I love you."

"I'm not listening any more of your lies and excuses!" Kandor spat back as she turned away from her father. "If this tribe won't give me what I deserve, then perhaps the world will!"

She then stomped out of her family's home, leaving her father in a state of shock.

A few days later, Kandor then broke tribal law and left for the outside world, never to be seen again.

End of Flashback...

_All my life, I was nothing more than second fiddle to Balla!_ Kandor brooded as she continued to sit in the park. She then began recalling her childhood, growing up with her younger sister. No matter how hard she tried, despite having started training two years before Balla did, her sibling would always show her up and demonstrate greater skill in using Tattoon Power. It seemed that the golden-haired girl had natural ability with manipulating the elemental forces of nature. As a result, she had also developed more tattoos than her sibling, and in shorter time. Everyone marveled at her skills, while Kandor's were considered moderate at best. Through it all, Balla had remained cheerful, which irritated the _HELL_ out of her sister.

The constant rivalry between herself and Balla soon heated up and the older daughter of Shiror would do anything to outperform her sister. She had even begun practicing the forbidden Dark Arts, against her father's wishes, in order to finally outdo Balla. That had gotten her into serious trouble with the elders and if not for her father's intervention, Kandor would have been executed for using such knowledge.

Kandor shook her head and brought herself back to the present. This was no time to reminisce about unhappy memories. When she had sensed her sister's presence in Hiroshima, the older girl knew that this was her chance to pay her back for taking what had been rightfully hers. And what better way to hurt her was through the man she had formed a spiritual bond with?

Such a task would not be easy. She had attacked Eric through his mystic tattoos before, by turning their energies against him. However, the same trick would not work the next time. Balla would undoubtedly teach him how to shield himself from such an attack. The only reason why the trick had worked in the first place was because he was inexperienced and had not yet learned how to manipulate his tattoos' defensive properties. Furthermore, the energy backlash he had created had hurt! It was hard to believe that an outsider would possess such power. After seeing him demolish Happosai, Kandor knew that a direct attack was no longer feasible.

So what options were left?

The apartment...

"So what or who attacked me yesterday?" Eric asked, as he was being spoon-fed some soup. "It felt like your power, but it was different somehow."

"I'm... not one hundred percent certain..." Balla began. In actuality, she was almost totally convinced that it had been her sister's handiwork, though a small part of her wanted to deny the evidence. She shelved that thought for later as she changed the subject. "When you've recovered enough, I have to start teaching you how to shield yourself from that kind of attack."

The café, a day later...

"Where's Eric?" Nodoka asked as she and her sister Atsuko were led to a booth.

The waiter shook his head and replied. "I'm afraid that Eric won't be coming in for work for at least a week. He called in a couple of days ago and said that he got injured."

"Oh no! What happened?"

"As far as I can tell from his message, it didn't sound too serious, though he did say that his body was sore and needed some rest."

"That's good to hear." Nodoka said in relief.

The high school...

"Eric is hurt?" Lisa became very concerned.

"That's what I heard." Deiner said. "He called in and said that he won't be coming to school for a few days."

"What happened?" The bow girl inquired.

"I'm not sure of the details. From what I heard, he ran into that Underwear Thief that people were talking about and things got really ugly. The news did mention some strange light occurring near the business district."

Brody shrugged. "Hey don't worry about it. Eric's one mean badass! From what I heard, his injuries weren't too serious. He'll be all right and back to kicking butt again in no time!"

"Just so long as he isn't kicking our butts." Deiner said jokingly.

"Damn straight!"

"And I also heard that Balla is taking care of him."

"Sweet! Man, I'd love to have her as my nurse!"

As the two laughed together, Lisa immediately disregarded them and began thinking about Eric. The thought of him actually getting hurt was news to her. He was so tough that she didn't think anything or anyone could cause him pain. Then she thought about him being cared for by Balla and the green-eyed monster began to stir.

Lisa immediately made a decision to go see Eric after school.

The hotel where the Amazons were staying at...

"Shampoo can't wait to see Airen again!" The purple-haired girl was giddy as she imagined herself in Ranma's arms. After asking a few questions around the nearest schools and a few of the locals, the Amazon had discerned which school Ranma was now attending, and was eager to find her missing 'husband' and take him back to China as soon as possible.

However, Cologne was not quite as enthusiastic. Ever since she had sensed the power of the Tattoon, she had been getting a bit edgy as she and her great-granddaughter continued to search for her missing son-in-law. Then, yesterday, her senses had picked up an incredible surge of power, and she knew that her suspicions were confirmed.

To those that knew of her, Cologne was very well traveled and she knew of things that were of the mystical nature, including a certain tribe in Tibet. An old memory from her youth came back to haunt her when she had sensed that power surge, and she had begun to hope that what she suspected was not true. If it was, then it might be in their best interests to abandon Ranma. She could only wait and see... and give her great-grandchild some advice.

"Seek out your groom with caution, Shampoo. I feel that an ill wind is blowing."

Later that day...

"Hi Lisa. What are you doing here?" Balla asked as she opened the door.

"I came to see Eric. I heard he was hurt." The bow girl replied, though a small part of her was still uneasy with the thought of Eric being near the Tattoon priestess.

"Oh, Eric is getting better, though he won't be leaving home for a few days."

"Can I come in? I... wanted to give him something." Lisa held up a small package.

Balla smiled. Though she and Lisa were sort of rivals for Eric's affections, Balla also considered Lisa as her friend. She nodded and led her to the bedroom.

Lisa's nose wrinkled as she caught a whiff of some strange odor.

"Yuck! What is that smell?"

Eric grumbled as he replied. "It's that God-awful goop that Balla keeps smearing on me. Hi Lisa."

"Hello Eric."

"It's not goop, it's a tribal remedy to help you heal faster." The blonde girl insisted as she and Lisa came to his side.

"I said I feel fine! I can't stand being cooped up. I need to get up! I've got to train and... ow!"

However, just as he started to rise, a sharp, stabbing pain ran through his limbs, causing him to wince in pain. Balla immediately cast a restraining spell to push him back down.

"Eric!" Lisa immediately became concerned at seeing the normally strong-willed fighter in such a weakened condition. However, the Tattoon girl put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Lisa. He's been like a bear ever since I've started caring for him. He'll be up and kicking butt again in a few days."

The statement calmed Lisa down as she remembered why she came. "Oh, here you are Eric. I wanted you to have this."

Eric smirked as he said in a teasing tone. "Oh? You didn't have to bring me flowers."

"Who said anything about flowers? Here. This is all the schoolwork you've missed." Lisa tossed a folder of papers into Eric's lap.

"What?" He stared down at the folder in disbelief.

"I'm not going to have you lower our class average even more by slacking off Eric. As class president, it's my duty to..."

"You gotta be kiddin' me! I'm hurt!"

"You're not hurt enough to ignore your studies are you?"

Balla giggled slightly. This was Lisa's way of showing that she cared.

Meanwhile, on the streets near Eric's school...

"Hey babe. What are you doing tonight?" Deiner asked as he and Brody were trying to ask out a certain girl they had just met on the street. Her figure and looks reminded them of Balla. Since Eric would kill them if they tried to put the moves on her, they figured this new girl would be easier.

"Shampoo no interested in date! Shampoo have question." The Amazon firmly said as she held up the most recent photo she had of Ranma. The photo depicted him in his old clothes and still sporting a pigtail. "You see before?"

Both guys looked at the photo and shrugged, as they did not immediately recognize the person.

"No, I don't think so." Brody replied.

"He... kind of looks familiar." Deiner added.

Shampoo became more impatient. Before going to the school, she had to make certain and she had see these two boys come out of the school that Ranma was supposed to be to going to. However, she had not seen her intended husband anywhere and wanted to know where he was.

"You see Ranma or not?" The Amazon asked with irritation.

At the mention of the name, Brody took on a very rare look, one of actual contemplation. He turned to his friend. "Ranma? Hey, is that what that nut-job who attacked Eric called him?"

Deiner shivered as he remembered back to that day when Ryoga attacked. "Oh yeah. That's what he called him all right." He then took a second look at the photo with his compatriot. "Come to think of it, that picture does look like Eric."

Brody nodded as he saw the resemblance. "Yeah. I guess I'm not used to seeing him with long hair and no scar on his forehead. He dresses differently too."

At these words, Shampoo became more excited. "You see him, yes?"

"Uh, yeah. His name's Eric and..." Deiner started, hoping to impress the purple-haired girl. "Him and me, we're best buddies!"

"He's my best buddy too!" Brody added.

"Where Ranma?" The Amazon asked, hoping to get an address.

That was when Deiner unknowingly added gasoline to the fire. "Uh, well he's not going to be at school for a while, but you can ask Balla about him. She's coming tomorrow."

"Yeah, she probably knows more about Eric than we do." Brody agreed.

At the mention of the girl's name, Shampoo became very tense. "Who is Balla?"

Deiner shrugged as he said the one thing that he _REALLY_ shouldn't have. "Oh. Well it's kind of hard to explain. Heck, we still don't believe it. A lot of people always thought he was gay, but he surprised us all when he went and totally got married to that babe Balla."

It was at that point that Shampoo's face took on a totally shocked expression as she took in the information. Then, slowly, but surely, the expression became darker as another feeling came over her. Finally, the female warrior exploded with an anguished scream, as she made her bonbori appear and thrust them out toward the two boys. Both backpedaled a bit as the colorful, yet deadly weapons stopped within an inch of their faces. When they glanced back at the Amazon, they were a little more than frightened to see that beautiful face now twisted into a mask of utter rage, with an expression that could _KILL_.

"_WHO IS OBSTACLE! RANMA BELONG TO SHAMPOO! OBSTACLE IS FOR KILLING! SHAMPOO WILL KILL!_"

The following day...

Balla nodded as she and Lisa walked toward the front gate as the final bell rang. In their hands were various notes in which they intended to give to Eric. As they both headed toward the main gate, Balla suddenly stopped as her mystic senses picked up something just beyond her range of perception.

"Balla, what's wrong? We have to get these notes to Eric. That big history test is coming up and he needs to study."

"Someone is... here." Balla began as she started scanning.

High above them on the roof of the school, Kandor tried to mask her presence as best as she could. She had thought that by not using any of her Tattoon powers, her sister would not be able to detect her presence. However, Balla's senses were more refined than she had remembered and the older sibling realized that the High Priestess would determine where she was within a minute. Kandor had thought to observe her sister and probe for weaknesses, but if she were detected now...

_**THOOM!**_

Everyone's attention was diverted when they heard that explosion and saw that a section of the front wall had been blown out. When the dust settled, a certain purple-haired Amazon stood ready with a wicked-looking sword and a bonbori in her hands. She looked about and her expression became hard as she spotted her target.

"_YOU! YOU IS BALLA?_"

The Tattoon Priestess stiffened when she made eye contact with the Amazon. If this person was the same one that Eric had told her about, then things were going to get... violent. Ever since some of Eric's old rivals had been showing up, she had a feeling that she might encounter some of his former fiancées.

"Yes... I am Balla. And you are... Shampoo?"

"_YOU I KILL!_"

Eric suddenly rose from his futon as his Primary Mark started glowing. A shiver went down his back as he felt the connection between himself and Balla grow even more intense. She was in trouble and despite the pain he was feeling, he felt that he had to be by her side.

Gritting his teeth and ignoring the stabbing agony that he was putting his limbs through, he forced himself to his feet and began staggering toward the door. Each step was pure torture as he willed himself forward. However, just as he managed to get a hold of the doorframe, he fell forward and landed hard on his stomach.

_Damn it! I have to get up! Balla needs me!_

With supreme effort, he began struggling toward the front door.

Throughout her long life, Cologne was no stranger to pain, either from inflicting it, or receiving it. However, it was the latter that she began feeling at the moment. She had just finished rounding the block near Ranma's school when she felt an intense stabbing pain in her head. The sudden discomfort appeared without warning and it began overriding all of her metaphysical senses, while disrupting all of her ki pathways. Her vision became blurry as she felt a throbbing like the beat of a thousand war drums. This forced the old woman to her knees as more torment was added to her body and soul. The agony began spreading throughout her limbs as and the Elder felt as if her entire body was being consumed by fire. She managed to raise her head and saw her reflection in a store window. Her eyes widened as she saw a strange symbol glowing on her forehead. The sight made her blood run cold.

_By all the Kami! No! The curse! I had forgotten about our family's curse! Shampoo... must be... attacking one of the Tattoon Tribe! I... must stop her!_

The Amazon matriarch managed to get to her feet and began using her staff to pogo toward the source of her pain.

"_AIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_"

Shampoo had never felt such intense pain before. What she was feeling was the great-granddaddy of all migraines. She felt as if her brain was about to explode, as she held her head and writhed about on the ground in spastic fits. Her weapons lay useless on the ground after she had dropped them.

The Amazon had charged toward the High Priestess, intent on finishing her off quickly and finding Ranma. However, she had taken no more than two dozen steps when Balla sensed something about her and focused her power at her. It was a small, simple application of energy, but it was enough to trigger something within the warrior girl. Shampoo was stopped instantly in her tracks as an intense pain ripped through her very being and caused her to fall, only three meters from reaching her target. Now she was feeling a kind of anguish that was rarely experienced by anyone and death would have been welcomed at that point.

Balla looked down at the girl who wanted to end her life. She noted the symbol that was glowing on Shampoo's forehead and nodded. She knew what it was.

Beside her, Lisa and everyone else watched in complete puzzlement. A minute ago, the Amazon had effortlessly smashed through a concrete wall and had attacked Balla with the intent of killing her. Now she was convulsing on the ground and looked as if she was experiencing Hell itself.

"_PLEASE... STOP!_"

Balla looked up and saw Cologne standing near the hole where Shampoo had made her entrance. Well, standing was stretching it. The ancient crone looked ready to drop as she leaned against her cane for support. Her entire body trembled from the pain she was experiencing, and the blonde girl saw that she too sported the same mark as her attacker.

"Please... stop it." Cologne said, no begged as she fell to her knees.

For one long, agonizing moment, Balla said nothing. Finally, she nodded as she made a sweeping gesture with her right hand. Shampoo finally stopped twitching and lapsed into blessed unconsciousness. As for Cologne, she got back to her feet when the pain dispersed.

Unlike her usual, perky self, Balla was all business as she glared at the matriarch with disdain. She then addressed her in a firm tone. "Elder Cologne of the Joketsuzoku, I presume?"

The older woman nodded, albeit reluctantly. "You know of me?"

"My husband described both you and your great-granddaughter in detail." She pointed to the unconsciousness girl at her feet. "This is Shampoo?"

"She is. And you are?"

"I am Balla, High Priestess of the Tattoon Tribe."

"I see." The Elder started to approach slowly, but stopped when the mark on Balla's forehead appeared momentarily. The old crone caught the warning, and stopped moving forward.

The High Priestess gestured with her head at her would-be killer. "Take your descendant and leave... and hope that our paths never cross again."

The expression in Balla's face left no doubts in Cologne's mind. The Tattoon girl was not in a negotiating mood. She nodded and quickly went over to her great-granddaughter. With one quick motion she swept up her heir and turned to leave.

"Balla..."

Everyone turned to the sound of the weakened voice and saw a badly injured Eric leaning against a wall. He was trying hard to keep on his feet, but the trip from his bedroom to the school had been too much as he fell forward.

"Eric!" Both Lisa and Balla ran to him, as everyone watched. The Amazon Elder then looked at her 'son-in-law' and took in the changes he had undergone.

In addition to the physical changes to his appearance, Ranma looked harder, and had lost much of the innocence and naiveté that Colgone remembered. He didn't have that aura of cockiness that he often taunted her with, nor did he have that same irritating, conceited attitude. Her eyes narrowed as she sensed a faint emanation of Tattoon power being emitted from the scar on his forehead.

"Son-in-law?"

Eric growled at Cologne, as the two girls helped him up. "I'm... _NOT_ your son-in-law!"

Cologne was silent for a very long time as she considered the mark on his forehead. Finally she nodded as she replied, "Yes... you're not my son-in-law."

With those parting words, she leapt off into the distance with Shampoo slung over her shoulder. A minute later, she was gone from sight as Balla and Lisa began helping Eric back to his apartment.

_Well, well, well. That was interesting._ Kandor thought as she walked away from the scene. _Hmmm, from what I saw, those two were marked with the Tattoon Spirit Curse. They can't attack Balla, so that means, that one of our ancestors had placed the mark on that old woman. This could work to my advantage._

Later...

"No! Why Shampoo must leave Ranma? He is Shampoo's Airen!"

Cologne let off a tired sigh as she continued to pack her bags. "Child, I'm sorry, but it seems that Ranma... is already married to that girl."

"_NO!_ Ranma belongs to Shampoo! Girl is obstacle and obstacles is for killing! That is Amazon way!"

"Shampoo!" Cologne's tone became so harsh that her heir immediately became silent. "If you were to attack that girl again, then you WILL die. You cannot attack her, under any circumstances."

"Why? Sneaky girl use some kind of magic trick! Shampoo not fall for it again!"

Cologne shook her head. "No child. It was no trick. It was a curse. And I'm sorry to say, that it was I, who had caused it."

This took Shampoo by surprise. "Huh? What great-grandmother mean?"

Cologne sighed again as she motioned for her relative to sit down with her. "It happened a long, _LONG_ time ago. Almost three hundred years ago, actually. It began sometime after Happosai had stolen my Magic Mirror, along with the other treasures of our village. I went out in search of him to try and retrieve our stolen property. I traveled far and wide, eventually encountering a very powerful tribe of mystics in Tibet. They were the Tattoon."

"Tattoon?"

"Yes, child. The magics they possessed were unlike any I had ever seen. I suppose a little of Happosai had rubbed off on me, for I had determined to steal their secrets and bring them back to our tribe. Perhaps I wanted to replace that which had been taken from us. I suppose that was the foolishness of youth. However, they did not take kindly to my actions and I was... punished."

"Punished? How, great-grandmother?"

"They had decided to spare my life, but give me a reminder of my greed. The High Priestess imprinted a mark that they called the Spirit Curse. Any attempt to attack them or to learn their secrets would result in unimaginable pain, and would eventually lead to death if I persisted. Since then, I had never spoken of the Tattoon Tribe until today."

"But why did Shampoo feel pain? Only curse Shampoo have is Jusenkyo one."

Colgone sighed again as she explained. "Unfortunately, another effect of the Spirit Curse is that it would be passed down to my descendants, including you. My children, her children and all those that followed gained the same curse. Furthermore, I would feel the pain of my descendants should they attempt to attack the Tattoon or learn their secrets."

"Aiyah."

"Yes. So you see, we have no choice but to abandon Ranma. From what I saw, he is now one of the Tattoon and attacking him or that girl would inevitably be fatal to us."

Shampoo felt as if she was going to cry. "Is there nothing great-grandmother can do? Great-grandmother knows magic. Can remove curse, yes?"

"If I knew how, I would have done so long ago. However, I know next to nothing of Tattoon magic, and the Spirit Curse prevents me from learning it. There is no way it can be removed."

It was at that moment that a new voice was heard.

"Oh, yes it can."

Both Amazons turned and saw that a stranger was now sitting on a chair behind them.

"Who are you?" Cologne demanded as she assumed a ready stance.

Kandor stood up and wagged a finger at her. "Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't attack if I were you." To emphasize her point, she made the symbol on her forehead appear.

The matriarch and her heir stiffened when they saw the symbol and immediately relaxed their stances.

Kandor nodded as she made the symbol vanished. "That's better. Now then, in answer to your question, I am... someone who shares a common goal with you."

"What do you mean?" Cologne asked with suspicion.

Balla's older sister smiled as she began explaining. "For my own reasons, I wish to see the downfall of the current High Priestess of our tribe. It would be in your best interests to consider what I have to offer you. What would you say if I could _REMOVE_ the Spirit Curse from you and your descendant?"

"Impossible! I have tried many times and countless exorcism spells! None of them have worked for I do not know the nature of your tribe's magics!"

Kandor chuckled as she replied. "Of course they did not work. A Spirit Curse can only be removed by the one who had cast it..."

"Then you have nothing to offer us!"

"You didn't let me finish." Kandor stated as she made her forehead's mark glow again, thereby silencing Cologne. "A Spirit Curse can only be removed by the one who had cast it, or by _ONE_ of the person's descendants."

"What?"

"That's right. Now the Spirit Curse is usually cast by the High Priestess, correct?"

"Yes." Cologne nodded. "I will never forget the name of the person who cursed me."

"Was her name... Indenia?"

"Yes! How did you know?"

"She was my great-great-great-great grandmother."

"Then that means..."

"Yes. I can remove the Spirit Curse. Now, are you interested in my little proposition?"

Cologne considered the haughty girl in front of her and the possibilities. "Tell me more..."

Eric's apartment...

"Now lie still! You hurt yourself even more when you came to school today." Balla said as she prepared to apply more of the herbal salve to her beloved's body. He had agitated his injuries a bit and would need more rest.

"I don't want any more of that gunk on me!" Eric groaned as he tried to get up. However, he was pushed back down by Lisa.

"Balla's right, Eric." The bow girl stated as she nodded to the High Priestess. "You're definitely in no condition to leave now. If you keep trying to get up, then I'll _TIE _you down to the futon!"

Eric was about to challenge her words, but then relented as he saw that Balla preparing to cast another restraining spell. He flopped back down on the futon in a huff, wincing a bit as his body ached. "Oh all right, you win... for now."

Both girls smiled as they began administering their own brands of TLC. As Balla continued to smear the salve on Eric's chest, Lisa applied a wet towel to his forehead.

As the two tended to his wounds, they began feeling a bit nervous with each other and their feelings for Eric. Lisa made the first move to ease the tension by asking a question. "So who was that girl who tried to attack you, Balla?"

"She's..." Balla began, but Eric decided to answer the question for her.

"Her name is Shampoo, and she's a member of a Chinese Amazon tribe."

"Chinese Amazons?"

Eric nodded as he began explaining.

Later...

"You've _GOT_ to be kidding! She's supposed to kill the girl who defeats her, but marry the person if he's a man?" Lisa was stupefied after hearing Eric's abridged tale of his encounters with Shampoo. He had purposely left out certain details, such as his former Jusenkyo Curse, feeling that Lisa didn't need to hear about it. Not that it mattered, considering that he was cured of it.

Eric shrugged as he sat up. "That's the way it went. She's been chasing after me ever since I accidentally knocked her out. She even got her great-grandmother Cologne involved. Don't let that old ghoul's appearance fool you though. She's pretty powerful and she's got almost three centuries of experience under her belt."

"_THREE CENTURIES?!_"

"Yep." He turned to Balla to ask her a question. "Though I don't know how you were able to make them back off like that. I've _NEVER_ seen that dried-up mummy back down from anything or anyone before. How did you do it?"

Balla smiled a bit as she replied. "Well, actually I didn't make them back down. It was the Spirit Curse they had."

"Spirit Curse?" Both Lisa and Eric said together.

The magical girl nodded. "It looks like that old woman had encountered the Tattoon Tribe before. She must have done something really bad to receive such a terrible hex. That particular spell can cause great pain to the bearer, which prevent him or her from attacking a member of our tribe and learning our secrets. It can even cause death if the cursed one persists. The Spirit Curse is one of our most potent spells, and the last time it had been invoked, was almost three centuries ago." She then became introspective. "Eric, didn't you say that Cologne was over three hundred years old?"

"Yeah, so?"

Balla then made the connection. "Then that means that Cologne had been the one that my great-great-great-great grandmother Indenia had cursed."

"Your ancestor cursed that old woman?" Lisa asked, to which Balla nodded. "But that still doesn't explain why that Shampoo girl was in pain. She wasn't cursed, was she?"

"Actually, she was. You see, not only does the curse cause extreme pain to the original bearer, but it will also be passed down to his or her descendants."

"Whoa." Eric started contemplating on the information then grinned a bit. "Hey. If that's how it is, then I won't have to worry about that old ghoul or Shampoo. They can't attack us since we're both part of your tribe, right?"

Balla nodded, though a bit reluctantly. She was still worried somewhat about her sister's presence. She also knew that a descendant of Indenia could remove the hex. The only candidates in Hiroshima were herself... and Kandor.

"Well, have you decided on my generous offer?" Kandor asked as she crossed her legs and waited for Cologne's reply. Currently, they were having their discussion in the hotel room. Shampoo was waiting in the lobby, so that she could have a private conversation with the Tattoon member. However, she had left her great-granddaughter with strict orders not to go after Balla or Ranma. The purple-haired girl had been reluctant, but did as she was told.

The old matriarch considered her options. Fundamentally, she and Shampoo had a very painful curse, which prevented them from forcing Ranma to return back to China with them. According to what this stranger had told them, Ranma was married to the High Priestess and subsequently was part of the Tattoon Tribe. Any attack on the girl or Ranma would result in substantial agony and possibly death for herself and her great-grandchild, which would end the family bloodline. Therefore, Shampoo could not eliminate her rival, nor could Cologne challenge her former son-in-law.

If they were to return to the village without Ranma, both Shampoo and her great-grandmother would be disgraced for failing to uphold 3000 years of Chinese Amazon history. Such a thing would greatly damage Cologne's position as a village elder and would give her rivals on the Council a reason to gloat.

Then there was Shampoo's honor to think of, as well as the great potential the tribe would gain with Ranma. The purple-haired girl was dead-set with bringing back her Airen and would accept no other. To fail to uphold the laws once was unpleasant and she had already paid for it with a Jusenkyo curse. To fail a second time was an outcome that Cologne did not want to consider. The removal of the family's Spirit Curse would greatly improve their chances to get Shampoo's intended groom, but there had to be a catch. Cologne had not survived for three centuries, without learning the lesson that nothing was free.

"Why would you help us?" The old crone asked with suspicion.

"I told you. I have my own reasons." Kandor said simply. "And it seems that my goals coincide with yours, so it would make sense for us to join forces, would it not?"

"Hmmm... Tell me, in return for removing my family's bane, what would you receive?"

"Revenge."

"Ah." Cologne had guess as much when she had looked at Kandor's eyes. The fires of such an emotion burned brightly in her. "I suspected that might be your motive in offering to help us."

"You're very... perceptive." Kandor admitted. "Yes. Revenge is the reason why I am offering to lift your curse. I happen to know a few things about your tribe and its laws."

"Oh?"

Kandor made the symbol on her forehead appear briefly while pointing to it.

Cologne nodded in understanding as Kandor continued. "I know that your descendant, what was her name again?"

"Shampoo."

Kandor nodded. "I know that Shampoo desires the one you call Ranma, but she can't claim him, since the Spirit Curse prevents her from eliminating her biggest obstacle, namely the High Priestess."

"Correct."

"And I know that you cannot help her since you also share the same curse."

"Indeed. So what are you getting at?"

"What I'm getting that is that I want Balla to pay! The position of High Priestess was rightfully mine, but it was instead awarded to her! When the curse is lifted then Shampoo would be free to attack her or take Ranma from her. In fact, you'll be able to help her."

"That may be so, but removing the curse would not be enough." The elder argued. "I have already experienced your tribe's magics and they are very formidable. We could not stand against such power, especially from the High Priestess. The magical spells that I know of would not be enough."

Balla's sister thought for a moment, then added, "All right. How about this? In addition to removing your family's curse, I shall teach you some of our magics."

"Really?" This perked Cologne's interest.

"Yes. I know of certain spells that are considered very potent and if you or your descendant should learn them, then you will be able to accomplish your goals and I shall have my revenge."

"I see. And you're willing to do all that for us?"

"Yes. Now what is your answer?"

Cologne only took a heartbeat to consider, then replied. "My answer... is no."

"No?" Kandor was a bit surprised. She had pegged Cologne to be power-hungry and would be eager to snap up this opportunity. After all, it was her greed that had landed her with a Spirit Curse in the first place. "Do you realize what you are turning down?"

The matriarch's eyes narrowed as she nodded. "I know exactly what I am turning down. You were too eager to offer so much power for so very little in return. I haven't lived for more than three centuries without learning that everything has a price, especially when it deals with magic. I made a mistake three hundred years ago and I have paid for it, along with my descendants. If Shampoo did succeed in eliminating that girl Balla, then what guarantee would I have that her tribe would not take vengeance upon me, my family or my people? Even if you did teach us these spells that you promised, how can I know that they won't do more harm than good? No. I have already decided that abandoning Ranma would be in our best interests. Those other idiots may not see the futility in pursuing him further, but I have."

"Are you certain that you won't reconsider?"

"I have already told you my final decision on this matter. Good day to you."

Kandor frowned at the old woman for a long time before finally activating her tattoos and disappeared.

Cologne let off a sigh as she gathered up her luggage and Shampoo's, then headed out of the hotel room to the elevator. She knew that she had missed a grand opportunity, but she was certain that she had made the right decision. She had realized that the Ranma she knew was dead the moment she saw Eric. He had changed dramatically and there was no point in pestering him any further.

Another factor to her decision was that she had heard what had happened to those who had encountered Eric already. Mousse had called earlier from the police jail, begging for assistance. Once Cologne had learned of the incident, she had told him never to return to the village and that he was on his own. He was now considered an outcast and was forever exiled. The Hidden Weapons Master had disgraced the tribe by endangering innocents and using guns, which was considered a coward's weapon among the Amazons. In any case, with the charges brought against him, Mousse was looking at some serious prison time.

Cologne had also contacted the Tendos and learned from Kasumi that Nabiki was also going to be serving a long sentence in prison. The eldest daughter of Soun Tendo had informed her that it was Ranma who had turned her in. She had also told Cologne of her own encounter with him and how different he was from before.

That was all Cologne had needed to know. As a result, it was prudent that she and Shampoo leave Japan before he considered pressing charges against them for harassment, assault and attempted murder. She and her relative may be powerful martial artists, but even they couldn't stand up against an entire country and its laws. If they were lucky, they would only be deported.

When Cologne reached the lobby, she immediately got that sinking feeling. Shampoo was not there and she could guess where the girl had run off.

"That young fool!" Cologne cursed as she dropped her bags and raced out the door on her staff.

Kandor was in a very bad mood. That old woman had turned her down and she was back to square one. She knew that she couldn't face Balla one-on-one. Despite being younger, her sister always had the greater power. It was so unfair! Therefore, Kandor needed an ally to strike at the priestess through her significant other. However, her best bet had been that Amazon elder and her heir. She had sensed the great potential within them and they would have been enough to help her topple her sister. Now whom else could she turn to?

As she contemplated her next move on a roof, she sensed the emotion of great anger and hatred nearby. She looked in the direction of the sensation and saw a hospital where a certain Lost Boy was still recuperating from his encounter with Eric Kobayashi.

_Hmmm... I think I may have found my patsy._

To be continued...

Author's Notes

In the canon universe, Cologne is seen as a manipulative old crone, but in this case, she showed some wisdom when she turned down Kandor's offer. As expected, Shampoo is just as stubborn and headstrong as she was in the original storyline. Hopefully, for her sake, she will realize the futility of pursuing Ranma/Eric, before she does something that she may regret; though I won't make any promises.

How many of you want to bet that Ryoga is going to accept Kandor's offer?


	11. Chapter 11, Part 1: Don't Preach What Yo...

**TATTOON RANMA**

Disclaimer: Do I really need to do this? All right, Tattoon Master and Ranma 1/2 don't belong to me, but I'm using the characters to tell a story. Happy now?

: Thoughts

**Chapter 11**

Part 1

Don't Preach What You Don't Practice

Cologne knew that she had to find her foolish great-granddaughter, before she did something that they would regret for the rest of their lives. And if Shampoo were planning to do what Cologne believed, then their lives would be very short indeed. She had been searching desperately for several hours since her encounter with Balla's sister.

Just as she was about twenty blocks away from the hotel that they were staying at, she suddenly felt an intense stabbing pain in her head. The mark of the Spirit Curse glowed brightly on her forehead and she knew that Shampoo must have been attacking the Tattoon Priestess. Biting down on the pain, she made her way to the source of her agony.

Shampoo had thought she could eliminate her rival by ambushing her. She had reasoned that if she could catch her unawares, then Balla would not be able to use her powers and the Spirit Curse against her. After leaving the hotel, she had begun hunting for Balla. She had caught sight of her when Balla had left an apartment complex that was near the school where they had clashed. Shampoo guessed correctly that that was the place where her Airen was, and intended to go claim him after she had dispatched her target.

The Amazon trailed the Tattoon girl for a while, using all the stealth techniques she had learned during her training. She wanted to wait for the most opportune moment to strike, when Balla's defenses were at their lowest levels. When the Tattoon priestess emerged from a store with her arms full of groceries, the purple-haired girl knew that this was her chance.

Balla had already known that she was being followed the moment she had left the apartment to shop for supplies. Her Tattoon senses had picked up the telltale essence of Shampoo's Spirit Curse. Apparently, the Amazon was planning to ambush her. Balla wasn't too worried since the hex would automatically activate the moment Shampoo started to attack. However, she had kept her powers on alert, just in case.

After coming out of the store with bags of groceries, she decided that the sooner she dealt with Shampoo, the better off everyone would be. She then opted to take a shortcut through a deserted alley, providing her stalker with the perfect scenario to attack. Shampoo snapped at the bait.

Cologne's pain increased geometrically as she neared the place where Shampoo was attempting to end the Tattoon girl's life. She was almost put into a comatose state when a huge surge of agony ripped through her very being. She staggered into the alley, where she beheld Shampoo once again screaming and writhing in utter torture. Balla was standing over her would-be assassin with bags in her arms and a look of disdain on her face. She glanced over to the where the Elder was and the tattoo on her forehead glowed even more brightly.

Cologne winced as she held up her hand. "N-N-N-No more! Please!"

Balla let the painful reminder of the Amazons' folly linger for several moments before relenting and letting Shampoo slip into unconsciousness. Once again, she was all business as she addressed the matriarch. "Despite the dangers of the Spirit Curse, your descendant seems bound and determined to end my life and take my husband! I should let the hex continue to its conclusion!"

Cologne shuddered a bit. It was one thing to die in glorious battle, but it was quite another to meet one's end without being able to fight back. However, she had long since admitted that it had been HER fault that her great-granddaughter was in such a predicament.

The old matriarch found herself doing something rare, which was eating crow. "I... apologize for my descendant's actions. I recognize your claim to be valid and therefore, the Kiss of Marriage is hereby null and void."

Balla snorted a bit. "Your Amazon Laws mean nothing to me, and you have no one to blame but yourself for what has happened!"

"Yes... I know that. However, you have left us in quite a fix. Shampoo cannot return home in disgrace a second time, for failing to fulfill our tribal laws."

Balla thought for a moment, recalling what Eric had told her about Amazon laws. Then she nodded as she found a way out for Shampoo. "Then simply have her return home after fulfilling the Kiss of Death."

"What?"

"From what Eric had told me, your great-granddaughter originally came after him when she believed that he was a girl, correct?"

"Yes. However, that law was nullified when she discovered that he was really a male."

"Yes, but if the man she was to marry was dead, then the Kiss of Death would be reinstated would it not?"

Cologne gave the Tattoon priestess a puzzled look. "What are you getting at?"

"Simple." Balla replied. "The person you knew as male Ranma is dead. My husband is Eric Kobayashi. Therefore, the Kiss of Marriage no longer applies. As for the female Ranma, she too no longer exists for the Jusenkyo curse had been removed, when I gave Eric the Mark of Bonding. In a way, she had been 'killed.' Therefore, the Kiss of Death has been satisfied. Shampoo may return home without any loss of honor."

The old crone considered the High Priestess for a long time, while carefully measuring the weight of her suggestion. Finally, she nodded as she went to collect her still unconscious relative. "We shall return to China and... I give you my word that we will never again trouble you or son-in... I mean, your husband."

"For both your sakes, you'd better hope that our paths never cross again." Balla said as a final warning.

The Elder nodded again and, after putting Shampoo across her shoulder, she turned and hopped toward a roof. A few moments later and they were gone forever.

"So that was it?" Eric asked after Balla had told him of the details when she arrived home. Kneeling beside his futon was Lisa. "Man! I wish I'd thought of that!"

Balla nodded. She and Eric had one less thing to worry about.

Of course, there were a few MORE things to worry about. Case in point...

"So you say that I can destroy Ranma, using these... Dark Shadows?" A fully healed Ryoga asked.

Kandor nodded. It had taken some doing to sneak the Lost Boy out of the hospital and heal his extensive injuries, but after bringing him back to full health, Balla's sister found it very easy to manipulate this dimwit. His thirst for vengeance made him obsessive and it seemed that the so-called martial artist honor had been thrown out of the window. Consequences were also not high on his priority list. He was as single-minded as ever and was only focused on one goal, Ranma Saotome's utter destruction.

"Yes." Kandor replied. "Though you have been restored to your full power, you _DON'T_ stand a chance against your hated enemy, as you are currently. However, if you were to learn these techniques, then I can guarantee that there will be _NOTHING_ that could stop you from having your revenge."

After seeing how easily Kandor had healed him and the power she had displayed, Ryoga was more than willing to learn whatever could give him the edge against Ranma. His last encounter with his former rival had ended disastrously; as Ranma had displayed a kind of power that had made a mockery of his own skills and nearly killed him. Now, it was payback time and consequences be damned!

"Let's get started!"

Kandor smiled. Oh yes, the magic of the Dark Shadows would make Ryoga formidable, but unlike Cologne, who was wary of accepting such promises of power, the directionally-inept martial artist did not consider that there would be a price. The lessons she was about to teach him would be instrumental in her revenge against her sister, and Ryoga was considered... expendable.

In another hotel, we have yet another thing to worry about...

"I warn you, DEAR sister. Harm not a single hair on the pigtailed girl's head, lest you wish to bring the wrath of the Blue Thunder down upon thee!" Kuno glared at his sibling as he prepared to go in search of the foul demon Saotome, whom he believed, was holding his beloved pigtailed girl prisoner. He had not seen her since Ranma had abandoned Nerima, and therefore, he must have kidnapped her! That was the only _LOGICAL_ explanation for her not to be with her beloved Tatewaki! "I shall smite the sorcerer Saotome and rescue her from his clutches!"

However, Kodachi was of a different mind. She believed that Ranma had abandoned his one true love, (herself of course), because the pigtailed sorceress had placed him under a spell and spirited him away. "If you do so much as make the slightest scratch on Ranma-darling's person, then I shall personally make you _EAT_ that bokken! If anyone needs a smiting, then it is that pigtailed witch who had stolen my beloved by foul magic!"

"Hold thy tongue and speak not unkindly of my true love!"

"True love? Hah! You cannot even decide on a true love! You and your pining for that red-haired bitch and the equally abominable Akane Tendo!"

"I shall not hear any more of your slander, sister! The beauteous Akane and the pigtailed girl are purer than the finest orchids! They are the most dearest to this warrior's heart and I shall not have them remain one moment longer in the company of that fiend, that knave, that wretch, that... excuse for a man, Ranma Saotome!"

"Now you hold _YOUR_ tongue, brother dear! You speak of the man that I love! My darling Ranma!"

"Nay! I speak only of the truth!"

"Take that back!"

"I will not!"

(Okay, I think we've heard enough from the Krazy Kunos. Has there ever been a SANE member in that family?)

Two weeks later...

Eric slowly exhaled as he worked the kinks out of his system. After two weeks of being bedridden, he was finally well enough to resume his martial arts and Tattoon training. Currently, he was standing in a deserted part of the park beside Balla. He was following her movements as she led him through one of her tribal katas, which would help him focus his energies. The katas were similar to those used in Yoga and other Hindu disciplines. Each movement was slow, precise and required a focused mind.

"Breathe slowly, Eric. Let the power of your tattoos flow through your body and become one with nature." Balla instructed as she stood in a wide-legged stance with her palms together and held out in front of her. She was dressed in her usual tribal wear as her tattoos glowed quietly.

Eric nodded as he copied her stance and let his own marks appear. Over the past fourteen days, new Secondary Tattoos had begun to emerge. Unlike the others, which had caused him pain when he had forced them to appear, the latest marks had been gradually worked out and were synchronized with those that were already in place.

"How do you feel?" Balla asked as they moved in tandem.

"I'm... starting to feel more relaxed." Eric admitted. "In fact, I can't remember the last time I felt this stress-free since I left Tokyo."

"Good." The blonde girl smiled as she went through another series of motions with her arms, which he mimicked. "The power of the Tattoon Tribe stems from nature. With a clear mind and open spirit, your tattoos will allow you to draw upon nature's power. Open your senses and feel its glory."

The x-scarred teen nodded as he let his enhanced senses run free. He frowned a bit as he detected some familiar essences that were hiding behind some trees a hundred yards away. "You do know that we're being watched, right?"

The girl nodded. "Yes. I sensed them too. Are they who I think they are?"

"Mmmm-hmmm. Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-Dope."

"That's not a very nice thing to say about your father, Eric."

"Hmpf! Actually I'm giving all the idiots in the world a bad name by calling him a moron."

"Should I...?"

"No. I figured that sooner or later I'd have to confront them, and I'm feeling well enough."

"Just... don't go overboard like you did with Ryoga and Mousse." Balla warned. "And you're still not totally recovered."

"I'll try, but I can't make any promises."

"Are you sure that's him, Saotome?" Soun asked as he and Genma spied on the couple.

"Positive." The panda man said as he recognized his wayward child. He was irritated that son had not yet detected them. Apparently, the boy had grown soft and hadn't been training, probably from spending time with that gaijin girl and not with his true fiancée. Well he'd soon fix that when Ranma was returned to the dojo. In fact, the two had planned to hold the wedding as soon as the future of their retirement was dragged back to Nerima.

"Well, let's go get him!" Akane's father said as he began rushing toward the boy, followed by his cohort.

"Here they come." Balla remarked as she finished with the kata.

"And here they go." Eric added as he also finished with the exercise. His Primary Mark glowed as he turned to face two of his former headaches.

"_RANMA! YOU WILL MARRY..._" Both shouted, but they were suddenly blown backward, when a huge gust of wind appeared from out of nowhere and swept them off their feet and high into the air. The two landed some forty feet away. Both groaned as they looked up to see a very angry Eric Kobayashi.

_**OW!** Since when did Ranma learn the Master's Bean Jam Blowout technique?_ Genma thought as he and his friend painfully rose to their feet.

Eric had nothing but hatred and contempt directed at his father and his friend. He crossed his arms and glared at the two. "I don't know who you are or why you suddenly attacked me. Aggravated assault is against the law, you know."

However, this statement didn't register at all with the pea-sized brain of Genma or the slightly larger one of Soun's. The fat martial artist pointed at his son and shouted, "Ranma! How dare you dishonor the Saotome name?!"

Eric shrugged his shoulders in seeming puzzlement. "Ranma? Saotome? Never heard of him. I don't know why you think I'm this Ranma person."

"Stop this nonsense at once!" Soun said with blind obsession in his eyes. It seemed that he was bound and determined to see the pledge fulfilled. "You will do the right thing and return with us to marry Akane!"

Eric shrugged his shoulders again. "Now I don't know what you two are babbling about, but it's clear to me that both of you think I'm somebody else."

Genma, already tired with his son's total lack of respect, decided that it would just be best to simply take him back to Tokyo. He therefore voiced out his ultimatum. "Ranma, either you come back to the dojo willingly, or I will _DRAG_ you back!"

At that point, Eric took on a mock introspective look. "Ranma Saotome... where have I heard that name before?" Then he swore-snapped his fingers. "Oh yes! Now I remember. He's that dope from Nerima who couldn't decide for himself. He was a good fighter, but he just let everyone else blame him for everything that went wrong, regardless of whether he had anything to do with it or not. I've heard of him. What a weenie."

Both Soun and Genma looked at each other in confusion. What was Ranma talking about?

Eric continued on criticizing his old self. "From what I heard, he was engaged to the so-called best martial artist in Nerima, and heir to the Tendo Anything Goes, against his will, and wasn't given any choice in the matter. Best martial artist in Nerima? Hah! That's a laugh! From what I heard, she was nothing only good with breaking things that didn't fight back. As far as I know, there wasn't any suitable heir to the Tendo School, since she was not even taught the basics of the Anything Goes. Then again, that was her father's fault." (1)

"_HOW DARE YOU?!_" Soun shouted as the first vestiges of the Demon Head began to emerge.

Eric disregarded Soun's outrage. "Then again, what can anyone expect from a man who leaves his children to fend for themselves when they needed him the most? He was nothing but a big crybaby. Who'd want to learn from someone who spends most of his time crying over his departed wife than focus on teaching or raising his family? His oldest daughter has to sacrifice her own future and become the surrogate mother, because her father is too busy whining and shirking his responsibility as head of the household."

"_WHY YOU!!!!_" Soun went into his full Demon Head. However, in his anger, he had forgotten that Ranma, or rather Eric was no longer affected in the slightest by it. In fact, he snorted and gestured to it with a thumb while addressing Balla.

"And when things don't go his way, he goes into this ridiculous Demon Head to try and intimidate others, especially that weenie Ranma. It's really pathetic if you ask me. Still, it's not as pathetic as that pledge to unite the schools. Sorry, I meant, take _OVER_ the schools. The way I see it, that's how he and Ranma's father had planned."

"What?" Genma exclaimed.

Eric continued to ignore his father and Soun's presence as he continued to speak with Balla. "I mean, it's really convenient, right? From what I heard, these two did nothing but sit on their asses, play shogi, stuff their faces and let poor Ranma take all the lumps, all challengers and be a target for that uncute fiancée temper tantrums."

"How awful." Balla agreed.

"Yes it was. And that wasn't the half of it. Did you know that Genma Saotome was moronic enough to engage Ranma to more than one girl, just to fill his fat stomach? I heard that one time, he sold out his son for one measly fish, a bowl of rice and two pickles."

"No one can be _THAT_ idiotic." Balla said with a smile.

"Don't bet on it. When it comes to being stupid, Genma Saotome is the master."

"_HOW DARE YOU SHOW DISRESPECT TO YOUR FATHER?!_" Genma shouted in outrage, but his son continued to ignore him.

"Genma Saotome hasn't _DONE_ anything to deserve any respect. He's also very good at ducking responsibility for his actions, especially when he could just simply let his son take the blame. Did you know that he actually stole a girl's dowry and blamed it all on his son, despite the fact that he was too young to know any better?"

"Do tell." Balla urged him to go on.

"Yeah. He came up with some bullshit excuse about his son choosing food over his best friend, and that poor little fool didn't even know why he was asking that question. He then just took the dowry and his son, while leaving the poor girl on the side of the road."

It was then that Eric finally addressed the two idiots. "However, there _WAS_ one good thing that came out of Genma Saotome. He did engage his son to another girl when Ranma was a year old. Of course, it was to save his hide for attempting to steal from a tribe in Tibet."

At this statement, Genma forgot his outrage and trembled as an old memory came back to him. Soun also turned his Demon Head on his friend.

"Saotome... not again!"

"Er... ahhh, I don't know what he's talking about Tendo! He's gone temporarily insane!"

"Really?" Balla said in a singsong voice as she produced the contract. "I seem to recall that as well and here's Genma's signature and the boy's handprint. This contract hereby nullifies any previous engagements that he had arranged. It promises the boy, whose handprint is on this document, to the future High Priestess of the Tattoon Tribe."

Soun immediately rushed up, snatched the piece of paper and tore it into little, tiny pieces. However, Balla was not concerned as the shredded document simply restored itself. The Tendo patriarch began shredding it again and again, but each time he did so, the evidence reassembled itself. He then got desperate and produced a lighter, setting the thing on fire. He smiled triumphantly as the contract was reduced to ashes. However, the feeling was short-lived as the charred remnants, merged back together and the parchment became like new again. The contract disappeared from his hands and reappeared in Balla's.

"Oh, did I mention that Genma signed a _MAGICAL_ contract?" The Tattoon High Priestess calmly put the contract away then glared at the two morons. "Any attempt to destroy it, is considered a beach of an agreement and can result in _SERIOUS_ punishment." She emphasized her point by making her tattoos appear, giving off an aura of power.

Eric however, waved her to power down. "Ah, it doesn't really matter Balla. They're just a couple of idiots, who don't realize that their so-called pledge of honor is just a load of crap, and that it will _NEVER_, _EVER_ be fulfilled."

At that point, both men could no longer stand Eric's utter defiance and charged at him. They couldn't believe that the boy had grown a backbone and was openly refusing their plans that they had set up before he was born. Genma intended to teach his insolent son a lesson that he wouldn't forget.

However, it was Eric who was going to be doing all the teaching today and the fat, cowardly husband of Nodoka was going to learn a _VERY_ hard lesson. Motioning for Balla to back off, Eric faced off against the two disciples of Happosai. Soun was the first to try with a high-kick to the head, but that proved to be a failure from the start. Aerial attacks were not a specialty of the Tendo School, and with his degraded skill level and Eric's experience with such tactics, Soun was unprepared when his opponent countered. He winced in pain as the teen gripped his extended leg by the ankle and squeezed. Tendons and bone began to pop under the pressure as he was swung about, then slammed hard face-first on the ground.

Soun groaned as he stubbornly struggled to his knees. The Schools must be joined. That long-time dream was the only thing that had sustained him throughout the dreaded Master's training. It had kept him going when his beloved wife had passed on. It was his one, his only reason for living and he would see it fulfilled... at any cost!

As he tried to get up, his friend Genma tried to blindside his son from the rear, but received a hard elbow to the face, followed by a rabbit punch to the throat, making him gasp for air.

"Trying to get me when I'm not looking, eh?" Eric said contemptuously. "I thought as much. That's all you can do, since you can't face anything without pulling some stupid shit first."

Genma however, was a stubborn individual as he tried a high-punch combo. "Foolish boy! You _WILL_ marry Akane and carry on the schools! It is a matter of _HONOR... AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!_"

_**SNAP! CRUNCH!**_

Eric's voice became deadly as he held Genma's mangled right arm. "Here's some free advice for you Genma Saotome. Don't _PREACH_ what you don't _PRACTICE!_"

_**WOMP!**_

Genma's gut was slammed into his spine.

"You've gotten soft old man." Eric remarked.

_**WHAM!**_

Concussion.

"Then again, all you've ever done is stuff your face and let your son take the heat for YOUR crimes!"

_**CRACK!**_

There goes a dozen teeth.

"Just how many times have you had to fight for your life?"

_**WHACK!**_

Broken jaw.

"How many times had you had to endure an uncute bitch's temper?"

_**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!**_

Five ribs.

"Just what have you done to improve? What kind of hardships have _YOU_ had to take?"

_**WHAMMO!**_

Broken leg.

"I've had to do all of that and much, much _MORE_!"

_**WHAM X 1000**_

Genma becomes Eric's high-speed punching bag.

"The Cat Fist!" (**_WHAM_**) "Starvation!" (**_WHAM_**) "The Dragon's Whisker!" (**_WHAM_**) "Swimming to China!" (**_WHAM_**) "Jusenkyo!" (**_WHAM_**) "The Amazons!" (**_WHAM_**) "Shampoo!" (**_WHAM_**) The Old Ghoul!" (**_WHAM_**) "That Little Freak!" (**_WHAM_**) "That nutjob Kuno!" (**_WHAM_**) "His nutjob sister Kodachi!" (**_WHAM_**) Their nutjob father!" (**_WHAM_**) "Ryoga!" (**_WHAM_**) "Mousse!" (**_WHAM_**) "Nabiki!" (**_WHAM_**) "AKANE!" (**_WHAM_**) "AND YOU WITH ALL OF YOUR SHIT!" (**_WHAM_**) "I survived all of them!" (**_WHAM_**) "I took everything they had!" (**_WHAM_**) "I have never stopped training!" (**_WHAM_**) "I've overcome everything!" (**_WHAM_**) "So what have you done?" (**_WHAM_**) "How hard have you suffered?" (**_WHAM_**) "JUST WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT ME NOW?!" (**_WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!_**)

The last series of hits sent the fat martial artist flying into a park bench, shattering it on impact.

Eric turned about and saw Soun was back on his feet, though he very unsteadily.

"Stay down, Tendo-San." He growled in a very deadly tone.

However, obsessive behavior is what shaped the Tendo partiarch's personality and made him blind to everything else.

"You... _WILL_ marry Akane!" He gasped as he charged at Eric again.

Eric however, would have none of his idiocy. Knocking away Soun's pathetic attempts to hit him; he then delivered a series of fast punches that the older man had no hope of countering. Soun felt some of his ribs cracking from the impacts, then he was knocked back down to the ground by a hard right cross to the chin. At this point in time, Soun could no longer be considered as a martial artist or even a decent fighter. His skills had degraded from years of inactivity and hardly any training at all. It was clear that he had no hope of defeating an enraged Eric Koboyashi.

"I said... _STAY DOWN_, Tendo-San!" The X-scarred fighter warned again. "Keep this up and your daughters will be weeping over your own funeral!"

On the sidelines, Balla became concerned at those words. She hoped that Eric wouldn't cross the line and was ready to interfere if it came to that.

"You... will... marry..."

_**WABOOM!**_

Soun was sent flying and landed hard on his back some fifteen feet away from Eric.

"_I SAID... STAY DOWN!_" Eric shouted as his battle aura flared. Thrusting his hands forward, he let loose with a blast of air. The symbol on his forehead flashed.

Akane's father was sent flying even further and impacted against a sign, which snapped in two. He fell flat on his face and was out like a light. At that time, Balla's significant other was satisfied that Soun was finally down for the count.

"_ERIC! LOOK OUT!_"

At the sound of her voice, the former Saotome turned and saw Genma coming at him from above, with a glowing foot extended.

_Well, looks like Panda Man does know a few tricks!_ At that moment, his aura flared even hotter as he raised both hands and caught Genma's foot as he came toward him.

Genma let off a yelp of pain as his son began squeezing, making the bones pop and the tendons snap. He was then hauled by that foot and slammed repeatedly into the ground. With his strength fading, Genma rolled away and got back to his feet. It was at that time that he realized that in order to beat his disobedient child; he would have to unseal his Forbidden Techniques.

"_RANMA! YOU BREAK YOUR FATHER'S HEART! HOW COULD YOU BE SO DISHONORABLE?_"

"_SHUT UP! I TOLD YOU BEFORE, DON'T PREACH WHAT YOU DON'T PRACTICE! AND I'M TELLING YOU NOW, KEEP THIS UP AND I'LL BREAK A LOT MORE THAN JUST YOUR HEART!_"

"Ranma... you force my hand. Now feel the true power of the Anything Goes!" With these words, he began focusing his ki... then disappeared.

Eric looked about in confusion as he tried to use all of his senses to detect that worthless excuse of a human being. Who would have thought that he would have a technique that was actually useful?

Hidden nearby, Genma smiled as he used his Umisenken Technique to maneuver close enough to get in a strike to end the fight. With the Art of the Silent Thief at his disposal, his son would soon be subdued and the schools would be joined! Nothing could detect him when he was like this!

However, Genma was wrong. Eric had some new powers at his disposal since leaving Nerima. The mark on his forehead flashed again as his Secondary Tattoos appeared, boosting his mystic senses to a level that _COULD_ detect the invisible Panda Man. Once he zeroed in on him, Eric smirked, paused, then ducked.

Genma couldn't believe that he had missed as his intended punch to the back of Ranma's head sailed over him. Before he could recover, he felt a hard hit to his gut, followed by one knee... to the groin.

_**WHUMP!**_

Genma let off a high-pitched howl as he clutched at his privates and became visible again. That was when Eric let him have it.

_**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHMA! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! CRUNCH! SNAP! WHACK! CRACK! MANGLE!**_

Genma slumped off into a near comatose state as Eric lessened in hitting him. The injuries the Panda Man had sustained from his former son finally took their toll. He may be a lazy, greedy, good-for-nothing, but he was still a martial artist. Eric finally stopped when he realized that his former father wouldn't feel anything. Trembling with utter rage, he took several calming breaths and let the fat bastard slip out of his hands and fall to the ground.

"Eric?"

He turned around and looked into Balla's concerned expression. He let off another tired sigh. "It felt great... but I still feel so... hollow. The pain... in my soul is still there."

"I know." The blonde girl said as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's something that you needed to work out. I'm glad that you didn't kill them, though that father of yours did deserve it."

"Yeah, well I'm tired of having to always fight for my rights and pound that fact into these idiots. Why can't they just accept it? I deserve to make my own choices, don't I? I deserve to have my own life!"

"Yes, you do." Balla agreed. "So what now?" She gestured to the two on the ground.

Eric let off another tired sigh. "I guess we should call Detective Nagata and have these two morons picked up. With Genma's record, he'll be in prison for a long time. As for Soun Tendo, well I guess he'll be charged with harboring known felons and maybe assault. Frankly I'm not sure, nor do I really give a damn. As long as I never see either of them, then that will be good enough for me."

Balla nodded as she made certain that neither man would die from his injuries. Her beloved left to find the nearest payphone.

_I swear that I won't let anybody push me around any more!_ Eric thought as he found a payphone, inserted some coins and began dialing.

Meanwhile...

Kandor was impressed as she watched Ryoga become attuned to the new tattoos that she had imprinted on him. It wouldn't be long now...

To be continued...

Author's Notes

I hope the revisal has made this chapter a bit fuller.

The eventual confrontation between Eric and Ryoga was so long, that I decided to break chapter eleven into two parts. I'll admit that the Amazon problem was solved with very little blood spilled, but I decided that it would be best for Cologne and Shampoo to bow out more or less gracefully. I mean, what else could they do? As for Genma and Soun, well they weren't really any match for Eric as he is now, hence the short, somewhat anti-climatic massacre. However, I feel that Eric got his point across that no one's going to push him around. As for Kodachi and Tatewaki, how much would you like to bet on how long THAT match would last? In any case, part 2 will be a doozy as Ryoga and Eric have their FINAL fight, and I do mean final.

(1) I was inspired after reading Dark Present, No Regrets by Rippen Drakuzz.


	12. Chapter 11, Part 2: Bonds

**Tattoon Ranma**

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and Tattoon Master are someone else's inventions so go pester them!

: Thoughts

**Chapter 11**

Part 2

Bonds

Eric sighed as he prepared to close another part of his former life as Ranma Saotome, forever. With final resolve, he walked past the front desk of the police precinct and entered the jail where his father and Soun were being held before they would be later transported back to Nerima... where they would stand trial for their numerous crimes.

Currently, both men were still unconscious and were laid out in separate cells. As he stood and gazed upon the two disciples of Happosai, the X-scarred martial artist just barely kept his hatred and contempt for them in check. They had come to Hiroshima to force their will upon him, as they always had. They had expected him to meekly follow their plans, disregarding any of his opinions as unimportant. When trouble appeared, they would simply let him deal with it, while they hid behind a mockery of honor, which was just an excuse for their cowardice. No matter what crimes one, the other, or both had committed, it was always Ranma who was expected to take the blame and shoulder the burden. To them, he was nothing more than a dumping site for all of their problems. Well Eric was not going to let them ruin his life any more. The bond between him and these two idiots must be severed.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Detective Nagata asked, as he was about to leave Eric alone with the two dimwits.

"I'll be fine." Eric replied. "Oh yes, about this discussion I'm about to have with them..."

The officer nodded at the underlying meaning. He then left the holding area and closed the door behind them.

Balla's significant other nodded as he stood and glared in silence at two of the most pathetic men on Earth. No, they didn't even qualify as 'men' in his book. They were both cowardly shadows of human beings that would rather have others, particularly Ranma, take responsibility for their actions. Now it was time for them to take the long-overdue consequences of their many crimes.

At that moment, both Soun and Genma began to regain consciousness. Both men were in considerable pain from their encounter with Eric. Genma in particular was feeling some serious agony throughout his body, after taking the worst of the exchange. The police doctor had bandaged up most of his body, and he found that he couldn't move much. However, his vision was still working and his eyes widened when both he and Soun saw where they were. For a career thief such as Genma, it was his worst nightmare come true as he saw the steel bars of his jail cell.

For Soun, it was also a shocking revelation to find himself on the wrong side of the bars. He was one of the most prominent citizens in Nerima. People looked up to him. He was the master of the Tendo Dojo of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts! To be in such a place was... unthinkable!

It was then that both men saw Eric standing nearby with his arms folded across his chest and gazing upon them with a hardened expression.

"_RANMA!_" Both men cried out.

Eric snorted a bit before responding. "Ranma? I told you before you two attacked me that I ain't this Ranma dope."

"Stop talking this nonsense!" Genma shouted as he tried to get up. However, his body howled in pain each time he tried to move. "How could you do this to your father?!"

Eric snorted again. "Father? What father? I don't have any father named Genma. Hell, I pity this Ranma guy for having a father who is nothing more than a fat piece of shit!"

"What are you talking about?! You're my son and you'll do as I say! Now get me out of here!"

Eric shook his head. "I ain't going to aid and abet a known criminal, and I sure as Hell ain't going help him escape police custody."

"What are talking about?!"

"What I'm talking about is this." Eric replied as he began counting off Genma's crimes on his fingers. "Genma Saotome, wanted for several _HUNDRED_ cases of petty theft and breaking and entering."

"What are you talking about, Ranma? You know that stealing is part of the training!"

"You are also charged with several dozen cases of assault, _INCLUDING_ the attack you made on me."

"You're talking nonsense! Now get me out of here or..."

"There's also a warrant issued for your arrest for your connection to the infamous Underwear Thief, whom by the way has also been arrested and charged."

"I don't care if... w-w-what did you say?" The Panda Man stuttered.

Soun was also shocked. "T-The Master was...?"

The teen nodded and said, "He was arrested and is now awaiting trial for his many crimes."

Both men were ecstatic at the news and would have jumped for joy if they weren't so badly injured. As such, they settled for cheering.

"_OH HAPPY DAY! THE MASTER IS GONE!_"

"No more panty raids! I don't have to worry about anyone else finding out about him living in my home! No more groveling! No more helping him steal underwear!"

"We can finally relax with him gone!" Genma said with glee.

"Yes! This is exciting news son!" Soun said to Eric, thinking that he was now here to get them out of jail. "Now, with the Master about to receive justice, you can marry Akane and..."

"No." The sullen martial artist said, cutting off the Tendo patriarch.

"W-W-What did you say?"

Eric let off a low growl. "It appears that you have a very short memory, Tendo-san. You seem to have forgotten the position that you are in! I am _NOT_ this Ranma person that you think I am, and by your own words, you've just admitted to harboring not one, but _TWO_ known felons!"

"W-What?!" Soun gasped.

"In addition to hiding two known criminals from the law, you have also admitted to aiding the Underwear thief in his crimes. That's being an accessory! Furthermore, you did not report these crimes to the authorities, which is also punishable by the law. In addition to the assault charges that I'm filing against the two of you, you're both going away for a _LONG_ time!"

Both men became shocked to their core as Detective Nagata reentered the holding center... with a microphone.

"Did you get their confessions, Detective?" Eric asked with a bit of a smirk.

The officer nodded. "We got it all." He then addressed the two men. "Genma Saotome, you are hereby under arrest for the charges of repeated petty theft, breaking and entering, assault and assisting the Underwear Thief. Several families are also charging you for blatant breach of contract!" He then turned to Soun. "Soun Tendo, you are under arrest for harboring two known felons and assisting in their crimes. You are also being charged with one count of assault. You shall both be transported back to Tokyo to await trial."

"What is this?!" Soun demanded in outrage. If he weren't so injured, he would have gone into his Demon Head. "This is absolutely absurd! I demand that..."

"Oh we're _DEAD_ serious, Soun Tendo." Nagata said. "We've received enough proof from Kobayashi here, plus your confessions today, to ensure that both you and Saotome will answer for your various crimes."

Both men became struck dumb with shock. They couldn't believe that Ranma would turn on them. Since when did he grow a backbone? Wasn't he supposed to do, as honor demanded? No! This couldn't happening! The Schools must be joined! It was their dream! It was their future!

However, Eric was not interested in their futures any more. He wanted his own future, a future of his own making. If that meant totally cutting his ties with his past, then so be it!

"If you don't need me any more, Detective, then I'll be going now."

The officer nodded as Eric turned to leave.

"_RANMA! COME BACK HERE! THE SCHOOLS MUST BE JOINED! IT IS A MATTER OF HONOR!_" Soun shouted.

Eric paused before exiting the holding area. Without turning around, he gave his final say on the matter. "Honor? What honor? You don't have any and neither does that friend of yours. And I told you before, I ain't Ranma. Besides, why should I listen to a cowardly shadow of a man, who leaves his own children to fend for themselves when they needed him most? (1) Why should I listen to someone who hides behind others when trouble comes brewing? Why should I listen to someone who uses honor as an excuse, so he doesn't have to deal with the problems that he, his master, or friend had caused? Why should I listen to someone who won't take responsibility for his own actions? You have no idea what honor is Tendo, so stop pretending that you do. And if there's one thing that really _PISSES_ me off... it's a fucking _HYPOCRITE!_"

With those words, Eric left the police precinct, not once looking back as the connection to Soun and Genma was permanently cut.

Somewhere else...

Ryoga was in a very intense mood as he prowled the streets, looking for the bane of his very existence. He was eagerly anticipating for the moment when he finally found him. With the power he now possessed, he would finally put an end to all of his suffering. High above him, dark clouds began to form.

At their apartment, Balla's senses began to go on the alert as she began to detect that a dark and hostile power was near and it was coming for her beloved. She immediately stopped what she was doing and went to go in search for either the source of that dark power or Eric. At the back of her mind, she began to suspect that her sister Kandor might have had something to do with it.

The sensation was a familiar one and the High Priestess of the Tattoon Tribe shivered a bit as she recalled back to the last time that she had felt such a dark energy. Her sister had gone against the tribal laws and had learned about the Dark Shadows, which were the flip side of the elemental magics of her people. For that reason, she had been banished from the Tattoon and Balla had never seen her since then. The blonde-haired girl started hoping that Kandor had not taught those secrets to an outsider. The Dark Shadows being wielded by a member of the Tattoon was hazardous to both the user and the one being attacked by them. If an outsider had knowledge of them, then it almost always proved to be... fatal.

Eric sighed as he continued to walk home with his hands in his pockets. He was glad that the business with his former father and his friend had been concluded; yet he still felt... empty. Those two had gotten what they had deserved, especially Genma. Though the former Saotome wondered just where did that leave him. Ironically, the craziness that had been his life in Nerima was all he had ever known. One by one, he was taking out the prime factors of that chaos.

Eric had not even planned to do that to any of them when he had abandoned that life. Hell, all they had to do was just forget about him, and everything would have been fine. Hadn't they gotten the message when he said that he quit? Didn't his departure with no intention of ever coming back give them a clue? Didn't they hear him say that he didn't _CARE_ any more? One would think that last blow-up before he left would have been the clincher. Damn they were more obsessed about him that he had ever imagined! And now they were here in Hiroshima, eager to drag him back to that insanity! Couldn't he ever get a break?

However, it seemed that the gods of fate and misery had decided not to give up on their favorite punching bag. Furthermore, it also appeared that none of his suitors were willing to give up on him either. And wherever they went, those other morons were sure to follow. Damn them all! He just wanted peace of mind and a fresh start. Was that too much to ask?

Eric had considered just packing it up and leaving again, but that would only prolong the torment, not end it. They would follow him, just as they always did. It was an obsession with them. Whether it was out of honor, Amazon Law, some misconception, delusion, revenge or whatnot, they would _ALWAYS_ follow. With Ryoga, killing Ranma had been like his hobby or something.

_Well, at least I don't have to worry about that moron for a while._ Eric thought as he assumed that the Lost Boy was still recovering from his injuries during their last fight.

It was at that moment that his danger-sense went off and he immediately turned about and leapt back. The spot where he had previously been was blasted apart as a dark shape struck it, causing large chunks of pavement to go flying.

"_RANMA, PREPARE TO DIE!_"

Somewhere else...

Balla immediately dodged to her left as a blast of high-pressure wind shot past her and tore up the concrete. She got into a ready stance as a few of her tattoos came into view. She looked about for her attacker, then spotted a figure standing atop a street lamp. She immediately recognized her assailant.

"Kandor?"

The red-haired girls nodded as the thrust out a hand and released another blast of wind. "Yes, dear sister!"

_**KABOOM! **_

"_WHAT THE HELL?!_" Eric growled as he saw his arch-rival, no... _ARCH-ENEMY_ glaring at him as he stood some fifteen feet away.

"I finally found you... Ranma Saotome." Ryoga snarled as a strange symbol appeared on his forehead.

Eric gritted his teeth as he saw the mark. Deep within his very being, he knew that at that moment, the Ryoga he was facing was no longer the same person as he once knew. He was colder, harder and emanating a kind of dark power that would chill anyone down to the bone, and it was all directed at Eric. Genma's former son did not know how Ryoga had recovered from his injuries or where he got this power, but he knew one thing. It seemed that their final battle had come and one of them was not going to walk away.

"Kandor! Please stop this!" Balla cried out as she dodged another blast from her sibling.

"Do you know how long I've waited for this?" The Tattoon renegade asked as she continued to attack her young sister. "All those years, I've lived in your shadow! Well now it's payback time!"

The High Priestess continued to evade the anger-fueled attacks of her sister, not fighting back as she tried to reason with her. For all of Kandor's faults, mistakes and feelings of resentment, she still loved her sister.

It was at that moment that the symbol on her forehead suddenly started flaring erratically, which caused her to lose her focus. As a result, Balla was a fraction of a second too slow in evading Kandor's next blast. This clipped the High Priestess in the shoulder and caused her to go tumbling to the sidewalk.

_Ow! Something's wrong! I'm feeling Eric's pain! Something must be happening to him!_

Eric winced as he was thrown backward by a blast of dark energy from the Lost Boy. He hadn't expected Ryoga to have such mastery over his Tattoon abilities. The energies he was emitting were like living shadows, which caused a cold, numbing sensation whenever they struck him.

"_THIS TIME, YOU WILL PAY FOR ALL MY SUFFERING!_" The directionally challenged Ryoga ranted as he sent another barrage of Dark Shadows at the bane of his existence.

Eric however, didn't just stand there and take it. He swerved to avoid the attack, then rushed in to deliver a hard haymaker to Ryoga's face. The blow caused the Lost Boy to go sprawling. He glared down at his foe, in which he considered as the most pathetic person on Earth at the moment.

"You've gotten sloppy P-Chan! A while ago, you would never have left yourself _THAT_ wide open. I don't know where or who you learned Tattoon Power from, but even with it, you still won't be able to _BEAT_ me!"

"_STOP CALLING ME P-CHAN!_" Ryoga raged as he got back to his feet and launched another Dark Shadow attack.

As the tendrils of black energy were launched, Eric's own tattoos began to emerge. Sending out bursts of light and wind, he countered each of Ryoga's blasts, then came in close to deliver several more blows, this time in the form of kicks to the abdomen. As such, his foe doubled over then snapped back up as Eric kneed him in the face.

"Always the same Ryoga! You never change! You learn a new trick and keep using it over and over! You forget everything else and think the new move is enough to beat me!"

"_SHUT UP!_" Ryoga screamed as he suddenly flared with a dark aura that caught Eric off guard, throwing him back. As he staggered back, Ryoga took on an evil smile as he began building power. "So you think my new trick won't be enough to beat you, eh? _WELL TRY THIS ON!_"

He then let loose with a blanket of darkness, which surrounded Eric and enveloped him in a column of shadows.

"_NOW YOU WILL TRULY KNOW HELL!_"

Balla screamed as she suddenly felt a flash of pain, then a cold numbing feeling then more pain. As such, she wasn't able to defend herself against her sister's next attack, which threw her against the wall of a nearby shop.

"What's the matter, sister?" Kandor taunted. "Can't focus? Could it be the fact that your beloved husband is also feeling pain?"

"What?!" Balla exclaimed in shock as she got back to her feet. "What have you done to Eric?!"

The redhead shrugged as she replied. "Personally, I haven't done a thing. Of course, the same can't be said for one called Ryoga, who's probably pounding the daylights out of your precious Eric with the Dark Shadows."

Balla's eyes widened in further shock as she remembered the Lost Boy's last rampage and his hatred of her beloved. "What?! You taught someone like Ryoga the Dark Shadows?!"

Kandor shrugged again as she advanced on her weakened sister. "It was really easy. I mean, I thought no one could hate someone as much as I hated you, but this Ryoga guy puts my hatred to shame. The way he goes on and on about destroying Ranma, I mean Eric was absolutely pathetic. He'll do anything to beat him, so it was simple to get him to agree to learn the Dark Shadows. He didn't even ask if there were any consequences."

"You know that the Dark Shadows will consume him!"

"You know that, and I know that, but he didn't even bother to ask or care. However, he won't be consumed until he's exacted his revenge on Eric, and I've had mine!"

With those words, Kandor disappeared from sight, leaving Balla to prepare herself for her sibling's next assault. With concern for Eric flooding her mind, Balla couldn't completely focus, giving her sister the psychological edge. That and the fact that her bond with her husband was causing her to feel his pain.

Ryoga grinned as he sensed each time that his Dark Shadows ripped into his foe. He had begun to feel a dull, numbing throb in the back of his head, but had dismissed it as a minor inconvenience. This was his final revenge against the one who had made his life a living Hell and he savored each and every moment of Eric's agony.

Inside the column of shadows, Eric felt himself being buffeted by high-impact air currents, as if he was in the midst of a tornado. Each blow felt as if a wrecking ball was hitting him. Sometimes, it would cut into him like a knife, causing bloody gashes to appear. Most of all, it was cold, colder than ice. And he knew that he wouldn't be able to survive for much longer.

Balla screamed out as she found herself in the grip of Kandor's telekinesis, which caused her body to float above the ground and spread-eagled. The elder Tattoon magic user had appeared behind her sister and was now using her powers to rip into the High Priestess. Invisible knives of force cut into Balla, ripping her clothes and causing intense stabs of pain.

"You know what I've learned about the outside world?" Kandor remarked as she continued torturing her sister. "I've learned that it's unforgiving and that if you want something, then you have to _TAKE_ it! Honor is nothing but an excuse that prevents people from getting ahead. People don't care about each other. They only care about themselves."

"You're wrong!" Balla insisted, biting back the pain. "Not everyone is like that!"

"There you go again. Do you know how much I hate that optimism of yours? Well, here's what I think about it!" She began increasing the intensity of her attack, causing Balla to scream out louder in pain.

_Eric..._

_Hmpf! He's still alive. Well he won't be that way for much longer! This for everything that I've suffered! All the things that made my life miserable! This time for sure..._

"_RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!_"

Inside the column, Eric gritted his teeth when he heard that stupid rant of Ryoga's. His battle aura began to glow red as he started gathering power.

**_THAT DOES IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH! I'M NOT GOING TO LET THAT BASTARD WIN!_**

At that point, his Primary Mark glowed and changed shape, attuning itself to its counterpart...

_Balla..._

At the same time, Balla began feeling new strength as some of her tattoos appeared. She trembled as she sensed Eric's resolve and determination.

"I... feel... the connection! I'm... here for you, Eric! You can beat him! You can win! _WIN ERIC! WIN!_"

At that moment, Balla's body surged with power, causing a backlash that threw Kandor back. The red-haired girl was stunned at the sudden turn of events, which became even more intense as more of Balla's tattoos appeared. Soon, the blonde was covered from head to toe with mystic markings.

"The... tattoos..." She gasped as she felt the immense power being emitted. "The... full power."

Ryoga was taken completely by surprise as a blinding white light suddenly engulfed the column. He felt his control over the Dark Shadows fade away, then glimpsed a figure emerging from that brilliance. He trembled as he felt that the end was near...

Balla glared at her sister as the full power of her Tattoon abilities came to the fore. As she prepared to unleash it, she decided to give her sibling an object lesson.

"Kandor... you've misunderstood the teachings of our tribe! The goal is not to exert control over others, but to form bonds. From those bonds we draw on our greatest strength! And my husband has given me strength like no other! But since you cannot understand that one simple fact... you can NEVER... BEAT ME!"

Kandor snorted as she was royally pissed off at her sister's so-called righteousness. She let loose with a mind-blowing blast of energy, but before it could travel even a third of the way toward its target, Balla countered with a blast of wind that made a hurricane seem like a gentle breeze.

Balla's sibling was caught in the backlash and only remained long enough to voice out her displeasure.

"_BALLA! YOU ALWAYS WIN! THAT IS SO UNFAIR!_"

In another moment, she was sent into LEO as Balla's counterattack swept her up like a leaf.

After dispatching her sister, Balla immediately powered down a bit before disappearing from sight. She had to see if Eric was all right.

"What's happening? Where are my Dark Shadows?" Ryoga cried out as he covered his eyes to protect him from the glare.

Eric stepped out from the light and approached the pathetic Pig-Boy. "The light drove them away, P-Chan."

"Don't call me P-Erk!" Ryoga was cut off as Eric delivered a hard blow to his stomach.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Eric growled. "No matter what kind of power you have, I'll _ALWAYS_ beat you! And do you know why? It's because unlike you, I don't blame my problems on everyone else! And you're nothing but a pig!"

"_SHUT UP!_" The Lost Boy tried to raise more of his Dark Shadows, but that's when Eric went ballistic!

_**WHAM!**_

Broken jaw... again.

**_SNAP!_**

Broken arm... again.

_**BAM! BAM! BAM!**_

Eight RBIs (Ribs Bashed In)

"It's not over yet..." Ryoga groaned.

_**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!**_

"It's over, P-Chan! I'm _NOT_ playing this game any more!" Eric snarled as he broke both of Ryoga's legs.

Ryoga fell back and tried to summon up the last of his strength for a final Dark Shadow assault on Eric. However, that was when he felt that something was wrong. The Dark Shadows began to behave erratically. He tried to force them to do as he commanded, but the magic wouldn't listen. At that point, he felt total loss of control as the shadows began enveloping their wielder. His body began to blacken, as his flesh was being consumed by the evil that had spawned the shadows. He soon began screaming out and writhed about in agony. Just as he was about to be totally eaten up by the darkness, Balla appeared from out of nowhere.

"Balla? What are you doing...?"

"No time to explain Eric!" The High Priestess said as she saw what was happening and began acting to save Ryoga's life. She immediately made several of her tattoos appear and focused her power. For one long and agonizing minute, it seemed that nothing was happening as Ryoga was almost completely covered by the Dark Shadows. Finally, a different mark appeared on the Lost Boy's forehead, just as he was enveloped by his own dark power. Suddenly, a flare of white light burst forth, piercing the darkness and dispelling it, leaving only...

"Bweeeeeee!"

Balla sadly shook her head and sighed before turning to Eric. "I'm sorry darling. I... couldn't save him completely." She then gazed back at the small black piglet that was wearing a bandana around its neck.

"Would you mind telling me what just happened, Balla?" Eric asked as he too stared at the little porker.

The High Priestess took a deep breath before replying. "I tried to reverse the effects of the Dark Shadows when they turned on him. Magical energy of that type feed on negative emotions, such as hatred and the need for revenge. His hatred of you was so great that the Dark Shadows attempted to consume his body and soul. Let me tell you, that is a fate FAR worse than death. His very essence would have been in torment for all eternity. However, when I got here, he was already too far gone for me to save his body... his human body anyway."

"So that's why...?" He pointed to the piglet.

Balla nodded. "Actually, if I hadn't placed that modified Spirit Curse on him before, then I may not have been able to save him at all."

"Modified Spirit Curse? When did you do that?"

"It was just after your first fight with Ryoga. (2) I had placed a spell on him that would have activated once he had recovered. It was connected with his Jusenkyo curse. Every time he even thought about attacking you or getting revenge, then he would have instantly turned into a pig and stayed that way for a month, regardless of the presence of hot or cold water. I figured that as a pig, he wouldn't be able to cause as much trouble for you."

"I see. So what happened to that spell and how did he know about these... Dark Shadows, was it?"

Balla nodded again. "I think it was because of my sister Kandor."

"I didn't know you had a sister."

"It's a long story and I'll tell you about her later. In any case, Kandor resented me like Ryoga hated you. I had a run-in with her and she admitted to healing and teaching Ryoga the dark arts of the Shadows. I suspect that when she healed him, she rendered my curse inactive."

"So what's all that got to do with Ryoga now?"

"Well, I used the imprint of the Spirit Curse to guide his soul into that of his other self, namely the pig. The light you saw was the dispersal of the Dark Shadows. Unfortunately, they had already totally consumed his human body. When they were destroyed, so was his body. I'm sorry to say, but he is now and forever... a pig. Hot water won't change him back since there is no uncursed side for his spirit to enter."

"_BWEEEEEEEE!_" Ryoga squealed in dismay as he tried to leap up and bite Eric. However, he fell flat on his face and let off a series of moans and groans. He felt each and every one of the injuries that Eric had inflicted before the Dark Shadows had overwhelmed him.

"Still as ungrateful as ever, eh P-Chan?" Eric snorted as he picked up the oinker by the bandana and held him up. "You know, you should thank my girl that you're still alive! I would have been _REALLY_ tempted to let you die! This was all _YOUR_ fault!"

Balla felt her heart skip a beat when she heard Eric call her 'his girl.'

"_BWEE! BWEE! BWEE!_"

"Oh shut up, before I decide to turn you into a BLT!"

That threat made Ryoga go silent.

"Eric? What should we do with him now?" Balla asked, as she hoped that Eric wouldn't go through with his threat. Not that Ryoga didn't deserve it.

The x-scarred husband of the Tattoon High Priestess considered the black piglet for a long time then let off a tired sigh as he figured out a course of action. "Balla? Is that Spirit Curse still active?"

"I... suppose so, now that the Dark Shadows have been purged." She made a quick check with her senses. "Yes. It's functioning, though it's redundant now that he's permanently a pig."

"Here's what we're going to do..."

Later, at the apartment...

"Are you sure about this, Eric? I mean, sending Ryoga off to Jusenkyo? What if he finds the Spring of Drowned Man?" Balla asked as the two of them finished eating dinner. She knew about the many pools at Jusenkyo, due to her training as High Priestess.

"I'm counting on it." Eric replied as he began the task of washing the dishes. "You said that the modified Spirit Curse is still active right? Well, even if he does regain his human form, he still won't be able to attack me or get revenge because that would turn him into a pig for a month every time he tries. I left specific instructions in that package for the Guide to dump him into the Nanichuan." _Hmmm, I wonder if I punched in enough air holes? Oh well, the brain needs oxygen and it's not like Ryoga ever used his much._ Eric thought. "In this way, he's going to _OWE_ me, and if that and the Spirit Curse doesn't get him off my case, then that's _HIS_ problem. And if it doesn't work, well that's _STILL_ his goddamned problem. I'm being more than generous by giving him this second chance. He doesn't deserve even a _TENTH_ as much, considering how much shit he put me through." Eric then tossed the rag into its tray as he finished off the dishes.

"I have to admit, that was very noble of you to let him live and..."

"No. I wouldn't call it noble." Eric shook his head as he walked out to the balcony to watch the sunset. "I just didn't want that bastard's death on my conscience, even though he signed his own death warrant when he attacked and used those Dark Shadows."

"Well I think it was noble of you." Balla insisted as she walked up and embraced him from behind. She placed her head against his muscular back and let off a sigh of contentment. "Underneath that tough exterior, is a kind and gentle soul, just like I always knew there was."

Her beloved made no effort whatsoever to detach her from him. In fact, he had grown to tolerate, even enjoy her nearness. His right hand came up to clasp hers in a warm, but secure grip. "Balla?"

"Yes?"

Eric paused for a long while before continuing. "It's going to be rough in the future... real soon."

"I know."

"And... this is really hard for me to say... but I don't know just where I would be... if I didn't have you."

"You know I'll always be here for you."

"Yeah. I know. And it's because of that fact, that I was able to beat Ryoga today. He had me with those Dark Shadows of his. Then... when I began thinking of you... I felt... stronger than I had ever felt before. I never felt that way with any girl... not with Ukyo, not with Xian Pu... not even with Akane."

Balla nodded as she released her hold on him, allowing him to turn around to face her. She patted the x-shaped scar on his forehead. "It's because of our bond, Eric. I feel your pain... you can feel mine. However, we can also draw on each other's strength as well. You gave me the will to defeat my sister and I gave you the extra power to beat that pig. We're connected, you and I. Nothing can ever break that. Unlike that horrid Akane person, I have complete faith in you. I accept you with all your faults, because I know you're not perfect. Who in the world is?" She then began stroking his left cheek.

Eric smiled as he clasped her hand in his right and smiled. "Yeah. I'm not perfect. I know that. So can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"How did a rude, stubborn, obnoxious and boorish jerk like me... end up with a perfect girl like you?"

Balla blushed at the compliment, one of the rarest things for her husband to speak of, especially when it referred to her. "I'm not perfect, Eric, but I guess the gods that be decided that we were meant for each other."

At that moment, Eric did something even rarer. "Well, next time I pass by a shrine, remind me to make an offering, cause I think they did a _HELL_ of a job." He smiled... leaned forward and...

Up in Heaven...

"Hah! I knew it! Pay up Aphrodite!"

The Greek Goddess of Love gave her Norwegian counterpart Urd a rueful smile as she handed her a bottle of her finest wine, (which happened to be a powerful aphrodisiac, endurance and fertility potion), courtesy of her son Eros AKA Cupid.

Urd took the bottle and continued to taunt her counterpart. "I just _KNEW_ that Eric would lip lock with Balla within the week! At least he was a lot faster than Keiichi was with Belldandy."

"Not that I'm sore about losing the bet." Aphrodite said. "I just thought they'd take some more time. Oh well. It looks like this relationship will be going places."

"Indeed, though they _STILL_ have a long way to go and a _LOT_ of obstacles to overcome." Urd added as she and the Greek goddess continued to watch the pair. "So how long do you think it will be before they get into the sack?"

Aphrodite cocked her head in mock thought, then replied. "About a month from now."

" Betcha two bottles of wine it's sooner!"

"Youre on!"

To be continued...

Author's Notes

Yeah, I know it was a little mushy at the end, but I like mush now and then. As for the final battle with Ryoga, well it was a bit tame, but hey, the Lost Boy can no longer attack Eric/Ranma due to the Spirit Curse. Most likely, he'd still be ungrateful if he ever regains his human form, and I made no promises that he will.

As for chapter 12, the next on the lineup is the Kunos and Ukyo. See you there!

(1) I took this from Rippen Drakuzz's fic, Dark Present No Regrets.

(2) Remember _WAY_ back in chapter four?


	13. Chapter 12: That's Not Ranma

**TATTOON RANMA**

Disclaimer: I guess I should disclaim right? Ranma 1/2, Tattoon Master and any other character mentioned in this story belong to other people, so stop bothering me about them okay?

: Thoughts

**Chapter 12**

That's Not Ranma...

A hospital in Hiroshima...

"So what is the status of our latest patient?" The doctor asked as his nurse handed him a set of reports.

The young woman shook her head. "The injuries he had sustained to his body are recoverable, but... I'm afraid that the damage to Kuno-san's hands cannot be... fully repaired."

The physician's eyes widened as he read the reports. "Severe tissue burns and trauma to several major tendons and ligaments... more than a dozen crushed bones in each hand... nerve receptors either severed or badly damaged almost to the point of non-conduction... Kami-sama, it might be better for the patient if we amputated both hands."

The nurse sighed. "I'm afraid that Kuno-san was quite adamant against such a procedure. He stated clearly that he must have use of both of his hands and money is no object. Apparently, he practices kendo and he then went raving on about bringing his 'sword of justice' down upon some person named..."

"Impossible." The physician stated as he cut her off. "Even if his hands were to undergo full re-constructive surgery, they would never again have the same strength as they did. We could only expect a fifteen to twenty-percent recovery of his former gripping power, and that's nowhere near enough to wield a sword, wooden or otherwise. He might be able to use chopsticks or better yet, a knife and fork, but his kendo days are over."

"I have a feeling that our patient will not like hearing this news."

"It's the only news that we can give him. He should be grateful that he'll have some use of his hands at all."

Eric's home...

"Don't think you went a little too far this time, Eric?" Balla asked as she and her beloved ate dinner in the dining area.

The former Saotome snorted as he continued to eat. "I'd say that I didn't go _FAR_ enough. I told you before that I hated God-dammed hypocrites who use honor as an excuse, than as a rule. That bastard got what was coming to him when he attacked and spouting that 'samurai' shit."

"Still..."

"Still nothing! If I hadn't put a stop to his 'samurai fantasies,' then he would have kept on attacking me. I realized at that point, that I've been handling Kuno all wrong. It was that blasted delusion of his being a great warrior and my holding back, that was the problem. So I took away the one thing that he fixated on. He can't keep on pretending anymore..."

Flashback...

"At last! The Heavens smile upon this humble samurai, for I have my greatest enemy, the Foul Sorceror Saotome, within the reach of my noble blade!"

Eric growled as he and Balla were just exiting the schoolyard, when this pompous asshole suddenly showed up. Things were about to get messy...

"Eric..." Balla said with some concern. She was hoping that her beloved wouldn't lose control again.

"Stand clear." Was the only reply her husband gave her.

Eric growled again as he slowly turned around to face the ultimate idiot. His battle aura was already appearing and building up with the heat of his rage. Those who were standing nearby knew that look on his face and began high-tailing it out of there. Whoever this lunatic was, he had just signed his death warrant by challenging Kobayashi. Soon, there was no one present save for Kuno, Eric and Balla. The former son of Genma Saotome felt nothing but disgust as he gazed upon one of his more persistent pains in the ass. This time however, the kid gloves had long been discarded.

Kuno of course, had no idea whatsoever of the potentially explosive situation he was in. Then again, the insane kendoist was not known for his ability to realize when he was in _WAY OVER_ his head. That flawed logic of seeming invincibility over all, plus his delusion of being one of the ancient samurai overrode every one of his other mental processes, including common sense, and unfortunately in this case, the self-preservation instinct.

As Eric glared at this fool, he finally realized why Kuno kept on attacking him. It was the same reason why Ranma had so much trouble back in Nerima. It was because of overwhelming pride. Back in Nerima, Ranma would always humiliate the so-called Blue Thunder with every encounter. And because of Kuno's lack of reality sense and delusions, normal beatings and tactics were ineffectual. He was so wrapped up in his own little world, that he didn't even acknowledge when he was defeated without question. He would just latch onto any excuse, even one that was made up and didn't make any sense whatsoever, in order to save face. His pride wouldn't allow for _ANY_ slight to his image of being a great Samurai. And as one the great samurai, he was entitled to just about everything, including any girl he chose and was undefeatable against any opponent. And should he lose a fight, then it was due to black magic or trickery by his foe. Should a girl reject him outright, he simply assumed that she is just playing hard to get or that she was under some spell.

Well, Eric wasn't going to stand for this nonsense anymore, and he decided that the only way to get through to this pompous braggart was to give him something that he _COULDN'T_ ignore. With that in mind, his gaze when down to the hilt of Kuno's bokken, specifically his hands.

Tatewaki mistook Eric's gaze as a sign that his great skills were being acknowledged. "Hah! I see that the mere sight of my noble blade frightens you! As you should be, foul sorcerer, for thy end is at hand!"

Eric snorted. "Why the _HELL_ would I be afraid of some wannabe with a stick? Is that supposed to impress me? If you want to convince anyone that you're some great samurai warrior, (which you're definitely not), then you have to try a _LOT_ harder, loser."

"You will pay for your insolence, peasant! The Heavens themselves will bring down upon your vile head as I, Tatewaki Kuno, the Great Blue Thunder shall..."

"Ah _SHADDUP_!" Eric snarled as he took a stance. "If there's one thing that really ticks me off, it's having to listen to somebody who doesn't have the faintest idea as to what he's talking about!"

"What?!"

"You may _THINK_ you're some noble and heroic type, but that's just you blowing hot air out your mouth and ass!"

"How dare you...?!"

"I said shut up!" Eric shot back as he tensed up. "Here you are spouting off speeches on how you're going to defeat somebody and how great you are, when you don't have _ANYTHING_ to back those claims. You're always going on and on about what you claim to be, instead of what you really are, and that's _NOTHING_!"

Kuno felt his anger rising at Eric's words, which held the sting of truth in them. His usual denial to the facts came to the surface. "You shall..."

Eric snorted again. "You hear me, Kuno? Your words have no meaning to them! I don't acknowledge your so-called skills, because they are nothing! I don't acknowledge your so-called honor, because you have _NONE_! I don't acknowledge your so-called nobility because you aren't deserving of it. I don't even acknowledge your rights as a human being, because you are so pathetic that Kami-sama is _STILL_ wondering why you were even _PUT_ on this Earth! Your claims are _NOTHING_! You have _NOTHING_! You're _NOTHING_ period! You always _WERE_ nothing, you _ARE_ nothing now, and you will _ALWAYS BE NOTHING! DO YOU HEAR ME KUNO? YOU... ARE... NOTHING!_"

That last quip sent Kuno over the edge as he charged at his opponent with the intent of cutting him in two. "_AARRRRGGGGGHHHH!_"

That was when the carnage began.

Motioning for Balla to step aside, Eric easily sidestepped the slash and sent a rabbit punch to Kuno's throat. This made him gasp for air and stagger backward. Eric followed through by sending a downward chop with his right hand to Kuno's wrists, causing him to release his grip on his bokken. Like magic, the weapon was in Koboyashi's hands and he whipped it about into the kendoist's face.

**_WHAP!_**

This made Kuno even angrier as he backpedaled and then glare at his foe with rage. On his face was a large bruise forming across the bridge of his nose and on his cheeks.

"How dare you mar the noble visage of the Great Tatewaki..."

**_THUMP! THWAP! WHOMP!_**

Eric knocked Kuno off his feet by first driving the bokken into his belly, then smacking his left shin before sweeping his legs with the wooden blade. Kuno hit hard on his back and was about to scramble back up to his feet, when he suddenly felt something pressing up against his Adam's Apple. Looking up, he saw that Eric had his own weapon now poised above him.

"Pathetic." Balla's husband growled. "Not even worth the time it would take to put you out of _MY_ misery." Then he backed off to let Kuno rise to his feet again.

The maddened Blue Blunder reached into his robes to pull out another bokken. But before he got it halfway drawn, his wrists were struck again by two quick hits by Eric's bokken, causing him to drop his.

**_WHOMP!_**

Eric then kicked Kuno hard in the stomach, causing him to skid some thirty feet on the pavement on his back. He causally broke the sword in his hands and tossed the pieces over his shoulders as he approached his stress-relief punching bag.

"Same old, same old. Hasn't gotten better. _STILL_ got the same weaknesses. Get rid of the stick and the wannabe _SAMURAI_ becomes _JUST_ a _WANNABE_."

"How dare you... _OOF!_"

Just as he got up, Kuno received a blow to the gut that nearly caused his stomach to burst out of his back. He then received two hits to the face before being slammed into the pavement again. He rolled away as Eric decided to finish this fight/slaughter.

Tatewaki felt something hard beside him and grinned as he saw the bokken he dropped earlier. Quickly gripping its hilt, he stood up and held out the blade proudly, confident that he would now vanquish the hated Saotome with all of his skills as a _TRUE SAMURAI WARRIOR!_

"_YEEEEEEEAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGH! DIE SAOTOME!_"

This time, Eric didn't bother to dodge as he simply stood his ground and let his battle aura flare up. When the bokken came down... it broke in two in a shower of splinters. Kuno howled as the force of the blow went up his arms. Then he howled again, as something else was broken...

_**CRUNCH!**_

Namely his right wrist as Eric grabbed hold of it and mangled it.

Eric took on a deadly expression as he glared into Kuno's eyes. As the kendoist stared into those gray-blue depths, he finally began to experience the emotion of fear.

"You could've hurt somebody with that, Stick Boy."

CRUNCH!

Eric squeezed even tighter, causing Kuno to howl in pain again. Then he delivered a blow to his ribs, breaking four of them.

"Then again, it never mattered who was in the way, since you've always had to show that you were this 'great warrior.' You make me sick!"

_**WOP!**_

Blow to the head.

"You think you're this 'mighty' samurai, Kuno?"

_**SNAP!**_

Broken arm.

"Well here's a news flash! You're not! You're nowhere NEAR what the samurai were. In fact, you _EMBARRASS_ their legend!"

_**POW!**_

Concussion.

"The samurai wouldn't have _ANYTHING_ to do with you if they were still alive!"

_**CRACK!**_

Broken collarbone.

"The samurai knew what honor was! To them, honor was a rule! You only saw it as an excuse! Just like everyone else in Nerima! And that's what I hate most about you and everyone else. It's the fact that you all claim to be something that you're not!"

"I fight... on!" Kuno gasped, though he was in no condition to do so.

"Good, because I'm not finished!" Koboyashi let loose with another series of punches then kneed Kuno in the abdomen, before hauling him up by the front of his robes. "I still have _THIS_ to say! I've _HAD_ it with your posturing; your _CLAIMS_ at being a samurai and always acting like you're some kind of hero. Well, I'm not taking that bullshit anymore, and the pretending is _OVER_! Here's a reality check, Kuno! You're not what you think you are, and I'm going to make certain that you'll remember that fact for the rest of your life!"

At that moment, Kuno knew real pain...

End of Flashback...

"So I gave him a reminder of what he wasn't." Eric said simply as he finished with his dinner. "He'll never hold a sword again. Without that, he can't pretend any more."

"But..."

"Balla." Eric said firmly as he gazed into her eyes with an expression that brooked no argument. "Kuno brought this upon himself. I could have killed him, but I didn't. However, I wasn't going to stand for any more of his stupidity. I realized over last few months that I had gone easy on some people, in which I shouldn't have. That only gave them the excuse to keep on pestering me. I also realized that in order to get the message through that I wasn't going to stand for any more of their crap, then I would have to go to some... extremes. That may be the only way they can finally understand that Ranma Saotome is gone."

"But..."

He let off a tired sigh and his expression softened. "Yeah, I know that you're worried that I might lose control again, right?"

The Tattoon Priestess nodded in agreement. "I'm very afraid that you will push yourself like you did before and..."

Eric quieted his significant other by placing his index finger on her lips. Then he leaned forward to give her a quick kiss. He was still amazed that he was getting more comfortable with showing his affection toward a girl, but Balla was different. Aside from Soun Tendo's eldest daughter and perhaps Ucchan, the Tattoon girl was the only female who gave him the benefit of the doubt and tried to understand him, rather than control or own him. She wasn't perfect and her eagerness to consummate their 'marriage' did make him uneasy at times, but at least she was honest with her feelings and gave him space when he needed it. Though he suspected that she wanted to take their relationship to the next level and Eric wasn't ready for that... yet. Besides, there were still a few more headaches to deal with. And he had a felling that who would be next in line.

If the Blue Thunder had come, would the Black Rose be far behind?

Sure enough...

At the hospital, Kodachi couldn't help but gloat over her insane brother's misfortune. Though they were siblings, the Black Rose had always considered herself as superior to the Blue Blunder. She was more refined and graceful as compared to the brutish and uncouth ways of her stick-wielding brother. Oh, he may quote the likes of Shakespeare and Descartes, but he was still considered barbaric and lacking any subtlety whatsoever. His latest attempt to defeat her beloved Ranma-sama was poof of that.

This time however, the consequences had been more severe. Kuno couldn't pretend to be a great samurai warrior anymore, not that he was much of one in the first place. He always was an idiot and he always will be an idiot. Her beloved Ranma had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt who was the real man and who was the pretender. And only a real man was worthy of the love of the Black Rose! However, there were some minor obstacles to bypass before she could claim him forever.

According to Sasuke, (whom she had sent to check out the area and report back to her), that lowborn chef/hussy Ukyo Kuonji was also in Hiroshima, looking for Ranma. She was considered to be no real competition, and neither was Akane Tendo. From what her manservant had told her, the Tendo family and their houseguests was already in very dire legal problems and two members of the Tendo clan would most likely be seeing some prison time. The Chinese Amazon had left for China, never to be seen again and Kodachi couldn't be happier. As for the pig-tailed girl which her brother had obsessed over, no one had seen her since Ranma left Nerima and there had been no sightings of her in Hiroshima, so Kodachi could tick her off the hit list.

And she could also count off those who wanted to hurt her beloved Ranma-sama. Her idiot brother could no longer wield a sword. No amount of money could ever restore his hands to what they were. That near-blind Mousse was being held on several counts of reckless endangerment of innocents, attempted murder and possession of firearms and other illegal weapons, which would mean permanent deportation if not a long sentence in prison. Happosai was also going to be spending a long stint in prison. As for Ryoga, no one had seen him since his release from the hospital and all indications point to one conclusion, he wasn't coming back. Whatever the reason, Kodachi knew that her dearest Ranma will never be bothered by him ever again.

To the Black Rose, the path to Ranma's heart was being cleared for her. Now all she need to do was to overcome one new obstacle. There was only one person that concerned her at the moment. Sasuke had been collecting data on the whereabouts of Ranma and whom he was acquainting with since his departure from Nerima. The little ninja had reported to her that he had been frequently been sighted in the company of some blonde gaijin girl, and was sometimes associating with some bespectacled girl who carried a longbow. The one known as Lisa was not much of concern, but it was the one called Balla that Kodachi was focused on eliminating... permanently. According to Sasuke, the golden-haired slattern was rumored to have mystical powers and had even defeated Shampoo and her great-grandmother, by using some kind of spell.

Kodachi snorted. _Well, it's obvious that Ranma-darling has been ensorcelled by the foreign witch! How could he even think to be in the presence of another girl when he has me? Do not worry Ranma sweetums! I shall free you from this harridan's clutches, so that you may shower your affection upon your one true love!_

She let off her usual, irritating and nerve-wracking laugh as she headed toward the exit with a plan already forming in her mind. By tomorrow morning, Ranma will belong to her!

"Darling? Is something wrong?" Balla asked as Eric began putting away the dishes.

Eric trembled a bit as he felt a shiver down his spine. If there was one thing he had learned since his time in Nerima, it was that when he suddenly got the willies, it meant that something was going to happen, something bad. However, he didn't want Balla to worry about it. Taking a small breath to clam down, he gave her a smile and shook his head. "Nah, it was nothing."

However, the Tattoon High Priestess didn't buy it. She made the mark on her forehead appear for a brief moment to remind him of their bond. "You don't have to lie to make me feel better, Eric. Whatever is making you so worried, we will face it _TOGETHER_. Remember that we are one."

Eric let off a small chuckle while shaking his head. His Primary Mark gave off a brief flare of light to affirm their bond. Taking a long, slow breath, walked up to her and placed his hands on her slender shoulders. Without a word, he gathered her up in his arms and just held her.

The blonde smiled a bit as she returned the embrace and stood in silence with him. She leaned her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. To her, it was the most wonderful sound she had ever heard. It beat in a steady rhythm that seemed to be synchronized with her own. With their empathic bond, she wouldn't have been surprised if their hearts were in matched in pulses. Day by day, their connection was growing and though there were going to be more hard days ahead, she was certain that they would be able to weather the storm.

Eric however, was not convinced that everything would be okay, and was certain that Balla was in real danger. It was one thing to have a Spirit Curse to use against a vengeful Amazon, but it was quite another to face off against a lunatic Kodachi, whom had homicidal tendencies and was not above using every dirty and lethal trick in the book. During his time in Nerima, he had noticed that Kuno's sister had been getting more and more desperate to claim him as her own and several times she had come close to nearly ending her rivals' existence.

He could only guess at what she had planned if she knew about Balla. However, he silently vowed that he would do whatever it took to keep her safe. She had become the most important person in his life and if anyone threatened her, then all bets were off.

Later that night, at a posh hotel...

_Perfect!_ Kodachi thought as she finished her preparations to claim Ranma. Whoever that blonde gaijin was, she would soon learn that Ranma belonged to the Black Rose alone. All she had to do was to get close enough to her and she would cease to be an obstacle.

"Sasuke!"

At her command, the diminutive ninja servant of the Kuno family appeared and knelt down before her. Though he was primarily Tatewaki's lackey, with his master out of commission, he was now under the command of the Black Rose.

"Yes, Mistress?"

"The time has finally come and I expect to have my beloved Ranma-sama returning with me to Tokyo by tomorrow night. Are you ready to _EXECUTE_ your part of the plan?" She emphasized on the word execute as she was eager to see her final obstacle to her happiness with Ranma being removed.

The little ninja gulped before replying. "Yes, Mistress. However, might I speak freely?"

To Kodachi, this came as a bit of a surprise. Sasuke had never questioned the orders of her brother, nor those of her demented father, the Principal of Furinken High. Why should her orders be any different?

"Speak."

Sasuke gathered up his courage. In addition to gathering intelligence on Ranma Saotome's activities in Hiroshima, he had also found out a few things that Kuno and sister were unaware of. "Mistress, I have... some serious misgivings about this plan. It is my opinion that Ranma may not wish to return to Tokyo and perhaps it would be wiser to... leave him as he is and return home?" He said the last part in a barely audible squeak.

"_WHAT... DID... YOU... SAY?_" Kodachi's rage started a slow boil as she brought out her ribbon, and began gripping the handle as if she was holding a bullwhip. "Are you saying that my Ranma-sama would prefer that blonde _SLUT_ to the beautiful flower of St. Heberke?!"

Sasuke frantically waved his hands and shook his head. "Oh no, Mistress! Your beauty is unparalleled and there is no woman who could come to within one-thousandth of your magnificence!" When the compliment calmed her down a bit, he continued. "It's just that after what happened to Master Kuno and the others..."

"Hmpf! It was my own brother's fault for challenging Ranma-sama and he got what he deserved. As for the others, I care not about the fate of peasants! Ranma will be _MINE_, once I take care of this last detail. Once she is gone, then he will be free of her spell and he and I shall be together forever!"

"But Mistress... have you not considered how different Saotome has acted of late? He has done things that he had never done before in Nerima and I fear that if we were to harm this girl Balla, then he might not react... favorably to your attentions."

"Hmph! It just goes to show how little you know of matters of the heart!" Kuno's sister scoffed, then put on a daydream-like expression. "He'll be _SO_ grateful to his Kodachi-chan for freeing him from the misery of that gaijin's company. I'll wager that he'll propose to me on the spot!"

"But Mistress...!"

"I shall brook no further arguments, Sasuke!" Kodachi stated firmly. "The plan shall proceed tomorrow at 4 PM! I shall be expecting you to carry out your part, and if you so much as _THINK_ of disobeying me, then you shall suffer a fate _FAR_ worse that what befell my foolish brother! Is that _UNDERSTOOD_?"

The little ninja could only sigh and nod. "Understood, Mistress Kodachi."

"Good. Until tomorrow."

With those words, the Black Rose went to her bedroom. As she locked the door behind her, Sasuke was left alone with his thoughts.

Though Sasuke was not the sharpest tool in the shed, he did have his moments of common sense and insight, and this was one of those times. He had always followed the orders of the Kuno siblings to the letter and never questioned them, but in this case, he knew that their current path would only lead them to their final destruction.

After seeing what had happened to Master Kuno and all those who tried to force Ranma to their will, Sasuke had realized that this was _NOT_ the same person that had left Nerima six months ago. Ranma, or Eric he was now going by, didn't seem to know the meaning of the word mercy. The injuries he had inflicted on Kuno's hands were proof of that. And he had also read the reports on Ryoga and Mousse's injuries. Brutality had never part of Ranma's style before, but it seemed that he was more than willing to inflict such violence on those who crossed him.

Then there were the reports of Nabiki Tendo and her father in jail, and the fact that Ranma had turned them in. What could have driven him to such measures? Surely they couldn't have something so terrible, to have forced him to take such drastic action, could they? Or was it because they had finally caused Ranma to exceed his ridiculously high levels of tolerance?

Finally, there was this new girl, Balla. From his observations and information gathering, it appeared that she was some kind of pressure valve to Ranma's new rage. Sasuke was certain that without her, Ranma would have long been pushed past the limit and killed his foes, without any regret whatsoever. Kuno's crippled hands were proof of that. Why go through the trouble of permanently disabling his means to wield a sword, when it would have been so much easier to end his life? And then there were Ryoga, Happosai and Mousse. Ranma would have been well within his rights to kill them in self-defense when they attacked him, and judging by their injury reports, he could have easily done so. No, the ninja suspected that this Balla girl had stopped him from ending their lives. As a result, the Hidden Weapons Master, the Perverted Master and the Lost Boy had been dealt with by using other means.

The servant of the Kuno Family found himself in a difficult situation. Should he just obey Kodachi's orders and risk almost certain retaliation from Ranma? Or should he disobey Kodachi and risk punishment from her?

Ukyo Kuonji was quite nervous as she bedded down for the night. After a long time of searching and asking around in Hiroshima, she had finally learned of Ranma's whereabouts. However, what she had learned had only made her more concerned.

When she had learned that he was attending a local high school, she was all set to go to him for what she thought would be a joyous reunion. However, that was when she also learned about the changes he had undergone... and that he was married.

At first, she felt a sudden rage within her when she had been told by a few of his classmates, that Ranma had married a beautiful blonde gaijin. How dare he?! She was his cute fiancée and they had been promised since they were six! Genma had taken and spent her dowry and therefore, Ranma was all but married to her! Then Ukyo had learned that only the girl claimed that she was married to him, due to some weird law of her tribe. Naturally, the okonomiyaki chef thought of this as similar to Shampoo's claim to her Ranma-honey. It didn't count.

Then she had heard about the beatings.

Ryoga had received the worst of them and Happosai had come in a close second. She had always suspected that Ran-chan had been holding back with his previous fights against them, and he had _NEVER_ incurred any injuries that were life threatening... until now. What would have driven him to cross the line?

She had also heard about what had happened to Mousse, Nabiki, Soun and Genma. They were all in jail and Ukyo could scarcely believe it. Before sending the law against them, Ranma had also given three out of four of them a pounding that went beyond his usual style. As for Nabiki, from what the spatula-wielding girl had heard, the Middle Tendo daughter was facing at least a decade of prison time for her illegal activities. Not that she didn't have it coming to her, but still, how did Ranma outsmart her?

Where was the Ranma that she knew? Where was the slow-witted, wisecracking, cocky and clueless martial artist that could take every bad thing and just brush it off as unimportant? Where was that insane amount of tolerance? He was supposed to be rough and crude, but still easy-going, not brutal and so... distant.

What happened to her childhood friend? Did Ranma Saotome even exist anymore? This new person who seemed to have taken his place, frightened her.

The next day...

Lisa Fujimatsu sighed as she saw Eric and Balla walk together toward the school's main gates. When he shyly took her hand and clasped it tightly, the bow-wielding class president knew that she had lost. Any girl who could make that misogynist, actually display the slightest gesture of affection toward her... deserved him.

Lisa resisted the urge to cry. She had waited too long and she didn't have anyone else to blame but herself for her hesitancy. She had thought she had a chance to win his heart, during that time he had taken to fix her bicycle. However, she had never taken the chance to try and understand him. However, Balla had the advantage of being there when he needed support and had always been honest with her feelings. As for Lisa, she had always kept to herself and it appears that she had missed her chance. Now, it was apparent to her that Eric had made his choice and all she could do... was be happy for him. Balla may be flighty and somewhat over-cheerful at times, but she did truly love that dope. At the very least, Lisa could still be a friend to them, right? That thought cheered her up a bit as she allowed a small smile to appear on her face.

As she looked up at the skyline in thought, she caught sight of a glint of light, which was the setting sun's rays being reflected off something metallic. It was coming from a nearby rooftop and it almost looked like...

Sasuke truly did not want to do this as he took careful aim with his crossbow. The bolt was tipped with one of Kodachi's most lethal potions and he had Balla in the crosshairs. It would only take one squeeze of the trigger, and the Tattoon High Priestess would be dead. The Black Rose had made certain that the poison would kill her rival in the most agonizing way possible.

However, her little manservant was very reluctant to do the deed. It was one thing to kill in defense of his masters, but it was quite another to slay an innocent person who did nothing more than fall in love with someone. Unfortunately that someone happened to be the point of obsession for his Mistress.

Tatewaki or Kadachi did not consider Sasuke as someone with any considerable amount of intelligence. They only thought of him as their personal yes-man. He followed their orders, never complained and was always there to pound on if they needed to release their frustrations. He was the perfect little slave... until now.

Despite his obligation to the Kuno Clan, Sasuke decided that he could not do this. Ranma, or rather Eric seemed so content with his significant other. He was certain that slaying her would _NOT_ make Ranma happy once Kodachi appeared. After what had befallen Master Kuno, the ninja decided that he must keep the rest of the Kunos from suffering any further. Their fixation on Ranma Saotome and all that was related to him was destroying the great dynasty that he was sworn to protect. However, he could not convince his Mistress to abandon her quest for his heart, nor could he bring himself to kill the one who had it. And so, he decided that the only way for the Black Rose to see reason, was to have a heartbreaking, but necessary experience. Ranma's total rejection of her should be enough to snap her out of her delusions... he hoped.

With that in mind, he aimed high, and fired...

A few seconds before...

Kodachi smiled as she hid in a tree nearby and waited for Sasuke to fire. As soon as the Tattoon girl was slain, she would immediately use the paralysis powder bomb she had made to claim her beloved and whisk him away. The plan was perfect and nothing could go wrong.

However...

"_ERIC! BALLA! LOOK OUT!_"

With one smooth motion, Lisa immediately nocked an arrow to her longbow and fired. At the same time, Eric's danger sense went off as he moved Balla back to protect her.

What would later be considered as an incredible chain of events, the following occurred...

Not knowing that Sasuke's bolt had been purposely aimed to miss Balla's head, Lisa's arrow shot up and deflected the crossbow projectile to the right. The downward angle caused by the deflection made the bolt bounce off a lamppost toward Eric! The Tattoon Priestess immediately defended her beloved by putting up a mystic barrier, which reflected the bolt toward the branches of a certain tree. Then a scream was heard.

Before the shocked eyes of all those present, a figure in a leotard fell from the branches and hit the pavement with a dull thud. The paralysis powder exploded in her arms, making her body limp as a wet noodle, though that was the least of Kodachi's worries. The crossbow bolt that had been meant for Balla protruded from the Black Rose's left side.

"_NO! MISTRESS KODACHI!_"

Eric was very surprised to see Sasuke suddenly appear from out of nowhere and rush toward Kuno's sibling. His surprise began to turn to rage as he saw a discarded crossbow on the sidewalk and knew that it had been meant for Balla. He had no doubt that Kodachi had planned to kill the one girl he had truly loved and didn't deserve any mercy. In spite of this, he felt a calming presence beside him as Balla gently shook her head to him while powering up her Tattoon energies. A life was about to be snuffed out and she had to act quickly to save it.

"Please Eric, let it go. I have to help her now." She briefly put a hand on his shoulder and let a feeling of serenity wash over him.

Once again, the berserk fury that had gripped him before slipped away like a receding mist. Eric found himself in a state of utter amazement at the way she could always make the anger go away. What was it about Balla that made her seem like a angel sent down from the heavens? It was if Kami-sama had finally taken pity on him, and had sent her to him to pay back for the lifetime of misery Eric had endured.

The Tattoon High Priestess nodded as she hurried to tend to her would-be murderer's wounds. However, it was just not to heal Kodachi's body that she was intending, but also of the soul. She quickly walked up to the prone form of Kodachi and knelt down beside the seemingly lifeless body. Blood continued to pool on the pavement in a crimson puddle as Sasuke desperately tried to shake his master's sister awake, but her body remained unresponsive and started to grow cold. The ninja feared that her poison had worked all too well and now, it was too late... or so he thought.

When Balla began to glow with an eerie glow and reached out to Kodachi's body, Sasuke immediately tried to keep her away from his mistress' person.

"No! You will not touch... erk!"

However, he was suddenly hauled up by the scruff of his neck and was facing the firm expression of the one who had been formally Ranma Saotome.

"Listen up, you little toad. I ought to _FEED_ you that crossbow for what you tried to do to Balla. But since she might get mad at me if I turned you inside out, I'm _MAY_ decide to go easy on you, and you _MIGHT_ just come out of this intact. Now shut up and let my girl _SAVE_ that nut-job!"

This made Sasuke stop struggling. "What? She can save Mistress Kodachi? But the poison in that bolt is absolutely lethal and there's no antidote!"

Eric said nothing as he watched the tattoos appear on Balla's body, specifically the ones on her face and arms. The blonde girl seemed to go into some kind of trance as she worked her healing magic upon the deranged gymnast. Kodachi's form was enveloped by a thin, white aura as the priestess reached for the crossbow bolt. Grasping it firmly, she applied a small but concentrated amount of her energies and caused the projectile to disintegrate into nothingness. Amazingly, the blood that was on the concrete began to recede back into the wound. It was like watching a film in in reverse. With another application of Tattoon magic, the jagged hole the bolt had caused sealed itself up.

With the structural damage dealt with, Balla then focused on the second part of her task, which was to repair the damage to Kodachi's psyche. Balla had felt a great disturbance within the inner recesses of Kodachi's subconscious and apparently, it had been festering for years. Unlike Kuno's mind, which was based mostly on pride and arrogance, Kodachi's madness seemed to be founded on some great loss from long ago. The Tattoon girl decided that it was high time to finally ease that tortured mind and untangle the mess it had become.

She started to probe into Kodachi's spiritual realms, peeling away each of the layers that had been set up to keep her innermost being locked away. At first, there was much resistance as Kodachi's mental defenses tried to repel Balla's intrusion, but the priestess persevered and eventually, they gave way to allow her access. She continued deeper into the complex and often nonsensical regions of the Black Rose's consciousness. The parts that were illogical and irrelevant were disregarded as unimportant in her quest to find the true Kodachi Kuno. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, she found her... as a frightened and quiet little girl of five. She was dressed in a yellow sundress and was weeping nonstop, while kneeling over the form of someone else.

The little figure which represented Kodachi in her barest, most fundamental aspect, saw Balla tried to run from her presence, but Tattoon Girl simply called to her in a soft, yet persuasive manner.

_Please, don't go._

The little girl stopped and looked at the Tattoon Priestess, whose astral form was dressed in her usual tribal garments. Eric's girl nodded to her while giving her the friendliest smile she could summon up. This caused Young Kodachi to smile back at her, despite the fact that her eyes were still streaming tears. As Balla reached out with one hand toward her, the waif felt a sensation of warmth, as if she was in her mother's arms again. Then, the girl took one step toward Balla, then another, and then another. Before she realized it, she was hugging the legs of the blonde with her head bowed down. Balla brought the child closer while patting the top of her head.

As Young Kodachi continued to weep, Balla traced a small pattern on the girl's forehead with a fingertip. A Tattoon symbol appeared on Young Kodachi as the priestess learned of her past though the mark. Nodding in understanding of what Kuno's sister had endured, due to her accidentally witnessing her mother commit suicide, the daughter of the Tattoon chief began assuring the child that she was not at fault for her mother's tragic end.

At this point, Balla began to understand how Kodachi had become the twisted and deranged person that she was now. Her mother's death had left the girl with a trauma that she had never fully recovered from. As a result, her innocent outlook on the outside world had become skewed and she began denying the fact of some things that went beyond her control. Eventually, that denial became an obsession to control things.. and people. Her pampered upbringing only further made her believe that she had the power to manipulate others and ultimately became a fixation on the one person who seemed to be able to defy her order... Ranma Saotome. And his continued defiance towards her only made her more determined. The fixation on him became entangled with feelings of love, which was a distant desire for her to be loved again after her mother died. And from there...

Balla knew what she had to do as she began aid Kodachi in rebuilding the foundation to her soul...

A moment later in the real world...

Balla came out of her trance and stood up as Kodachi began to regain consciousness. The Tattoon girl gave Eric a reassuring smile as she stood beside her beloved, taking hold of one arm and brought him close. Though Eric was apprehensive and was expecting the Black Rose to attack again, he trusted Balla's judgment and waited. He brought himself even closer to her.

Kodachi's eyes opened up as a brief flash of light appeared on her forehead. She then looked over to where Ranma... no, Eric was and did the unexpected. She sat up, kneeled before the him and bowed her head down in shame.

"Please, I humbly beg that you forgive my most despicable attempt to kill your wife, Kobayashi-san. I have shamed the Kuno family name."

"Huh?" This took Eric by surprise. Wasn't she supposed to say something like, 'I shall free you from this witch's vile evil' or something like that? And did she just call him Kobayashi?

Kodachi's head remained bowed as she continued to humble herself. "I had mistaken you for someone that I thought I had loved, but I now realize that I was fooling myself and that you truly are _NOT_ Ranma Saotome, but someone far more wonderful. Balla is most fortunate to have a husband such as yourself."

"Uh... thank you." Eric was stupefied. Kodachi was giving him up, just like that? This couldn't be happening. He had been expecting another beat-down and lots of violence, not an unconditional surrender.

He wasn't the only one to be confused by this sudden turn of events. He was so stunned by Kodachi's miraculous change of behavior, that he did not notice that there was another familiar person in the crowds that were gathered behind them. A brown-haired okonomiyaki chef was also dumbfounded as she had witnessed the entire thing from around the corner of a building.

Though his appearance was drastically different from what she remembered him, the Kuonji girl had immediately recognized him. Ukyo was near to breaking down in tears as she gazed at her Ran-chan holding onto that strange blonde girl with magical powers. She had never seen him so happy to being so close to a girl, not even with her, his best buddy from childhood. It was so unfair!

Her first impulse when she saw Ranma was to run up to him and declare her love for him in a passionate embrace. However, when she saw him walking hand-in-hand with that Balla girl, her emotions switched from joy to intense jealousy as she prepared to scream out 'Ranma, you jackass' and attack that floozy. However, her imminent attack had been aborted when Sasuke had fired and Kodachi had gotten hit by her own servant's weapon and seemingly had been killed. She didn't know how Balla had done it, but she had brought Kodachi back from the dead and now, Kodachi was abandoning her pursuit and wishing the couple well? And Ranma wasn't even protesting the fact that Kodachi had addressed him as Balla's husband? That was unbelievable all by itself!

Ukyo couldn't believe it. Ranma was glad to be with a girl and Kuno's loony sister had suddenly become sane? Just what was going on? Ever since she had come to Hiroshima, everything she had thought she knew about him had been totally obliterated and now, she was seeing someone that _LOOKED_ like Ranma, but acted in ways that were totally opposite to what she was used to. How could he have changed so much? Could that Balla girl really have that kind of effect on him? When she looked at Ranma's expression again and how he regarded the girl beside him, she knew the answer.

Deep within her heart, Ukyo knew that the race was over and she had lost. The only consolation was that Akane, Shampoo and Kodachi were also out of the running for the trophy of Ranma's heart. She choked back the tears and wondered just what she was going to do now. One thing for certain, she no longer had a reason to stay in Hiroshima any more. However, before she could leave, she had to know a few things. With that in mind, she disappeared into the throngs of people.

Unknown to her, a certain Tattoon priestess sensed her presence and her connection to her husband...

Later...

As Eric and Balla were eating dinner, they discussed about the day's events and how things had turned out. Kodachi had given her word that she would never trouble them again and had returned to her hotel to prepare to go home to Tokyo. She assured the couple that her brother would never bother Eric either. As she had left, Eric noticed something different about the Black rose's presence. It was as if the aura of madness and illogic had been erased and she emulated a kind of quiet serenity. When he asked the Tattoon Priestess if she had cast some kind of brainwashing spell on her, Balla denied doing such a thing, and said that she had merely removed a few aspects from her mind, which had prevented Kodachi from seeing the truth.

Eric was still somewhat uncertain about it all, but decided to let the matter drop as the result was still what he wanted in the first place. Kodachi was going to leave him alone and that's all that counted. It felt as if another hefty weight had been removed from his shoulders and he was more than ready to move on.

At that point, Balla told him that she had to go out and take care of a certain errand. When Eric became concerned and offered to join her, she shook her head and assured him that everything would be all right and that there was nothing to worry about. She would only be gone for an hour or two. She reminded him by stroking his Primary Mark, that if she were to encounter any danger to her person, then he would know as well. With a quick peck on his cheek, she then left the apartment and headed out toward the city park.

Balla sat on the park bench and watched the evening blanket of stars begin cover the skies above her. She kept her senses open to the surrounding area, just in case things got... violent. Finally, after a long while... she appeared.

Ukyo had come.

The Tattoon girl showed no fear and was actually smiling warmly at the okonomiyaki chef, as if she were greeting an old friend, rather than a potential rival for Eric's affections. However, she didn't need to be afraid for she already had what Ukyo and all the girls wanted from Eric, but never received entirely. She could see some anger in Ukyo's eyes, but not quite as much as one would've expected from someone who had fought so fiercely to gain another's devotion. Balla could tell from her stance and expression that Ukyo wasn't here to fight, but wanted to get some answers. The blonde girl's expression turned a little serious but remained light and still friendly, as she nodded to Ranma's former fiancée.

Ukyo Kuonji I presume? I have been expecting you. When Ukyo opened her mouth in confusion, Balla held up her hand and replied to her unspoken questions. Eric has told me much about his friend Ucchan. He spoke very highly of you.

Ukyo felt a bit of irritation when she heard her nickname from the girl who had won her Ran-chan's heart. Though a part of her wanted to slam her huge Battle Spatula on top of that blonde's head, or skewer Balla with the throwing spatulas, the more sensible part of the brown-haired girl knew better. Causing any harm to the Tattoon priestess would most likely make Ranma angry, and perhaps even make him hate his childhood friend.

Winning his love was out of her reach now. She could see that in Balla's eyes. However, losing her friendship with Ran-chan or at least his respect was something that Ukyo could not bear. Taking a deep breath, she banished all thoughts of vengeance and frustrations and spoke.

So, Ran-chan... I mean, Ranma told you all about me, huh?Yes, Eric told me all about how you and he were... engaged when you were very young and how his worthless father had stolen your dowry and left you on the side of the road. A most despicable man.Eric huh? So that's what he calls himself?

Balla shook her head. Eric Kobayashi is who he IS. The person whom you once knew of as Ranma Saotome has been gone for a long time now. I'm afraid that you have been searching in vain for someone who no longer exists.What do you mean? I saw him today! I saw him almost tear Sasuke apart when he tried to kill you. If that wasn't Ranma Saotome, then who was it?

Balla gave her a small smile, then allowed the mark on her forehead to appear. That was my husband Eric Kobayashi that you saw. Ranma Saotome is no longer. With those words, she let her Tattoon energies reach out toward the Kuonji girl.

Ukyo's fighting instincts came to the fore as she reached behind for her Battle Spatula. However, that was when the light enveloped her as everything became white.

I helped Kodachi to see the truth about my Eric. Balla said softly. Now it is time that you also understand him.

In her mind's eye, Ukyo saw a myriad of images flash before her. In each of them, she saw a side of Ranma that she had been unaware of during his time in Nerima. She had never truly realized how much he was hurting inside whenever she, Shampoo or Akane were fighting over him. She had never realized how lonely he had been as well. A lifetime of solitude with only his training and an idiotic father to keep him company. And just when he thought he had gotten some friends, he ended up with fiancées and bitter rivals instead. And from there the situation just went steadily downhill into chaos. Oh there were the _OCCASIONAL_ cease-fires and truces, but they never lasted and no matter what he did, he would always be in the middle of the mayhem and no one ever cared how he felt or wanted his opinion. And Ukyo hadn't helped matters with her obsession and constantly reminding him of their childhood friendship and the spent dowry as a basis for her claim on him.

As more images flashed by, the okonomiyaki girl began to comprehend why Ranma had been so angry and had left even his old buddy Ucchan. For him, it was if he had been mentally and emotionally pulled apart in every direction and he had to leave before he was torn asunder. And it also hurt those close to him, including Ucchan. If the pain would only stop if Ranma Saotome no longer existed then so be it. So, he destroyed himself and was reborn as Eric Kobayashi. Finally, she saw how much he had changed and how much more he had to endure to get rid of the last vestiges of his old life. And through his trials and tribulations, one stood by him the entire time, giving him the support he needed and the friend that he always wanted. No wonder he fell in love with Balla.

When the images faded away and the light disappeared, Ukyo once again found herself standing in the park with Balla. The mark on the Tattoon girl's forehead disappeared and all became silent. Ukyo nearly collapsed to her knees after experiencing such an intense in-depth look into Eric's soul. However, the message had gotten through to her and she now understood that Ranma Saotome was gone and might as well be declared dead. Eric Kobayashi was who he was now and Ukyo had to respect him for that. He had come to terms with what aspect of his past and had moved on.

And so, it was time for Ukyo to move on as well. Ranma Saotome was no more, so the engagement to him was null and void, thereby saving her family's honor. Genma was going to prison, so retribution had been satisfied at least partially. It didn't totally make up for ten years of suffering, but at least it was some measure. In the end, Ranma... no, Eric was finally at peace with himself and had someone who would look after him and keep him happy.

Sniffling a bit and holding back her tears, Ukyo bid her farewell. I... understand now. Take care of Ran... Eric for me, okay? Take care of him, or I'm going to be really mad, got that?

Balla smiled as she nodded. Eric means the world to me.

Ukyo saw the promise in Balla's eyes and was satisfied that she would keep him happy. With that, she turned around and walked away.

Balla came home later that evening and saw that Eric had been waiting up for her. He was sitting at on a chair in the main room of their tiny apartment, facing the door.

So everything went all right with Ucchan? Eric casually asked.

This caught Balla off-guard. How did you...?!

Eric smirked as he tapped his Primary Mark. How else would I know?

The Tattoon Priestess nodded as she sat down beside him and began telling him about that night's encounter. To be concluded...

Author's Notes

Let's see... I got Ryoga beat up. I had Mousse set up on charges of illegal weapons possession, attempted murder, and possibly get him deported or thrown in prison, (after he got beat up). I sent Nabiki to jail for all her illegal activities. I had given Kasumi one heck of a blow-up. I bashed, crashed and smashed Happosai, then have him sent to prison. Ditto with Genma and Soun. Kuno's been crippled. The Amazons are cursed and will never return. Kodachi has been turned sane. Ukyo just leaves... am I forgetting anybody? (Heh-heh).

Next time will be part one of the final chapter of Tattoon Ranma as a couple of itsy-bitsy, teensy-weensy, be-they-ever-so-crucial, little tiny details are dealt with. See you there!


	14. Chapter 13, Part 1: What’s a Mother For?

**TATTOON RANMA**

**Disclaimer:** Well, what do you want me to do about it? Okay, Tattoon Master, and Ranma 1/2 belong to someone else and blah, blah, blah...

: Thoughts

**Chapter 13**

**Part 1**

**What's a Mother For?**

Eric Koboyashi, formally Ranma Saotome, yawned as he got up from his futon and looked about. He noted that Balla had already awakened and was washing up in the bathroom. He smiled a bit and silently said a thank you to the powers that be that had given him such a beautiful and understanding girl. She didn't ask much from him. Oh certainly, she started out like Shampoo did during their initial times together. She showed a possessive streak like Ukyo and a stubbornness that reminded him of Akane at times. However, all of that changed as she came to know him and he of her.

Where each of the Fiancée Brigade had one or two redeeming qualities that was in excess, while everything else was lacking, Balla had varying amounts of the things that gradually made the former Saotome more attracted to her as time went on. The Tattoon Girl could be affectionate, yet held back on being sexually aggressive as the Amazon. She understood that he wasn't very experienced in such intimacy, and gave him the time he needed to get used to receiving such emotions and returning them.

She was devoted and would fight for him, but did not treat him like some possession. She knew that she needed to tame the 'wild horse,' not break him. She had learned that she needed to earn his trust and love, not expect to have them handed to her.

But most of all, she was the only person to have truly listened to him. Eric's smile became wider as he remembered back to when she said that she would listen to him. From that point, Eric had discovered a rare treasure in her. He had wondered just how he would've ended up if she hadn't found him. Most likely, he would have remained the bitter and lonely person that he had become when he had left Nerima and all of the craziness. She was the emotional support that he had desperately needed, when there was no one else who would give it to him.

Heck, she had even convinced him to stop smoking, and had helped purge his body of its nicotine craving.

Now some people would have thought of him as a coward for running away from his problems and obligations. However, as far as he was concerned, those problems belonged to Ranma Saotome and his stupid, arrogant pride. That idiot didn't realize when it was time to leave a sinking ship and cut his losses. Eric Koboyashi wasn't going to take any crap, and he certainly wasn't going to have people force him into something, just because they feel that they had any right to do so.

Eric snorted a bit as he found himself thinking as a different person. Deep down, he knew that he was still Ranma, but he wasn't going to act like his former self. That had brought him nothing but grief. So as far as he was concerned, the old Ranma was gone and good riddance. Eric Koboyashi was free and he had someone special, in which he could depend on for support and understanding.

With that in mind, he stood up and slowly walked to the bathroom. He came up behind Balla as she had finished brushing her hair. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her and gently drew her close to him.

"Eric?" Balla asked in surprise as he suddenly showed a rare moment of affection towards her. Her body instinctively pressed itself against him.

He said not a word as he gently nuzzled the back of her neck and let his Secondary Tattoos appear. The markings let off a soft glow, which mirrored the tender feelings he was emitting toward her.

In response, Balla's tattoos appeared and began glowing in sync with his. There was long silence between them as the priestess found herself being turned around and facing him. Then their lips gently touched in a soulful kiss.

"You know you have to talk with her sooner or later, Eric." Balla stated as they ate breakfast.

"I don't see any reason why." Eric said quietly. "She hasn't contacted me in over ten years, and I don't feel that she should get to know the son that she gave away to that idiot Genma."

"Eric..." Balla said softly while placing a comforting hand on his right shoulder. "That's just your bitterness talking again. You don't have to worry about Genma ever again. He's going away for a long time. And I'm certain that if she doesn't know about it now, she's sure to find out eventually."

Speaking of whom...

"_WHAT?!_" Nodoka cried out, as she gripped the phone in her hand. Guess who had just called from the police station?

Nearby, her sister Atsuko became very interested in the conversation that Nodoka was having with a certain someone that she had not seen in over a decade. When she had heard that no-good Genma had been arrested, she had silently made a prayer of thanks to Kami-sama. Divine justice had finally come.

At the city jail, Genma was sweating bullets as he listened to his wife's cries of surprise and outrage on the phone. Calling his wife after ten years of separation had been a very drastic risk, but at the moment, he didn't have any other option. Ranma was gone and he didn't have anyone else to turn to. Soun was of no help whatsoever, as he continued to blubber about the schools never being joined, how the reputation of the Tendo School of the Anything Goes was ruined, and how dishonorable Genma's son was. On that last note, Genma agreed whole-heartedly. How _DARE_ that ungrateful son of his, ruin the Saotome Family honor and his long, luxurious retirement like this!

Nodoka was his last hope. Surely, with her traditional ways and her being Ranma's mother, she could make the boy see reason! After all, she had the one thing that could bring him to heel. He feared it, so there was no reason that Ranma would able to ignore it, especially with his curse. And after he was brought back under his control, surely he would carry out his duty and get him out of this predicament!

The Panda Man then made a mental note to keep his own Jusenkyo Curse a secret from his wife.

Nodoka was wearing down a big hole in the floor as she paced back and forth, switching constantly from feelings of worry, anger and shock. Genma was going to prison? Her son had abandoned the Saotome name? _ERIC KOBOYASHI WAS HER SON, RANMA?!_

Sitting nearby and also wearing a look of concern was Atsuko. After she had been filled in the details, she wondered just what her sibling was going to do. She was just as surprised to learn that their favorite waiter at the café was also Nodoka's son and her nephew. Despite the shock of this discovery, she was relieved in one respect. It seemed that Kami-sama had been listening to her previous prayer. Eric was indeed the total opposite to that greedy and idiotic brother-in-law of hers. However, this fact did not sit well with Nodoka.

"Eric is my son?! It's almost too fantastic to believe! Why did he abandon the Saotome name? Why did he not tell ME, his mother? Does he hate me?"

"Calm down, sister." Atsuko said as she walked up to her sibling and placed a comforting hand on Nodoka's right shoulder. "Getting all worked up about this will not help. First of all, we can't be one hundred percent certain that Genma was telling the truth about Eric and everything else. He's not exactly the most honest person in the world, and he has lied before in order to get out of trouble."

"Oh, I know that, Atsuko." Nodoka said simply, surprising her sister. Seeing her expression, she gave Atsuko a bit of a glare. "I'm not _TOTALLY_ ignorant of my husband's habit of dishonesty. However, I can tell when he's not lying, even though it's been ten years, since I last saw him. And I also confirmed with the police that he is going to be sent back to Tokyo to face numerous felony charges! Why would he lie about something _THIS_ important?"

Atsuko thought for a moment, then nodded. She knew of Genma's behavior and he would tell the truth, if it could save his worthless hide. Taking a deep breath, she then asked. "So what are you going to do now?"

Nodoka nodded as she came to a decision. "First thing I'm going to do is get my son and..."

"Whoa! Slow down there! You'd better think this through a bit more." The elder Kobayashi girl said as she motioned for her sister to sit and calm down. When she did so, Atsuko also took a seat and began speaking in a controlled tone. "First of all, you can't just march in and claim Eric like that."

"Well, why not? I'm his mother after all!"

"And exactly what kind of mother were you to him?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Nodoka, please understand this. It's been over ten years since you last saw him. You didn't write to him, you never phoned him, and you never even paid him a visit for all that time."

"How could I? Genma never gave me an address since he and Ranma always moved around. All I got was a letter from every now and then, telling me that the training was going fine and everything was all right."

"Exactly. And just what kind of feelings do you think a young child would have for a mother that was never there? A child needs both of his parents, especially while growing up. All Ranma had was that idiot Genma for company. Do you think he would just jump headlong into your arms? If Eric knows that you're his mother, then why hasn't he contacted you or told you the truth?"

"Well, I..."

"It's quite simple, sister. It's because he doesn't want to be with you. You're a stranger to him."

"_I'M HIS MOTHER!_"

"Biologically yes. Emotionally, no."

"What are you talking about?" Nodoka said with some anger in her tone.

"What's Ranma's favorite color?" Atsuko asked simply.

This inquiry caught Nodoka off guard. "What?"

"What's his favorite color? Surely as his mother, you should know that."

"Well, it's...."

"What's his favorite food? Does he like dogs or cats? What's his favorite movie? What is he allergic to? What does he like to do in his spare time? Does he have any secret dreams or desires? Did he have any friends in elementary school or junior high? Do you know his plans for the future? Well, I'm waiting Nodoka. Do you know ANYTHING at all about your son since you last saw him?"

The wife of Genma bowed her head in shame as she realized what her sister was trying to tell her. In a quiet voice, she replied, "I... don't know." Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she looked up at her sibling. "Oh Atsuko! I don't know _ANYTHING_ about Ranma! I don't know anything about my own son! What kind of mother am I? What am I going to do?"

It was then that Atsuko took Nodoka into her arms as Ranma's mother continue to weep. She gently patted Nodoka's back. "There, there. It's not too late and I'm sure we can think of something."

"R-Really?"

Nodoka's sister nodded as she let her sibling calm down a bit, then came up with an idea. Gently pushing Nodoka away, she said, "Assuming that Eric _IS_ Ranma, then perhaps we can work on what we _DO_ know about him. For one thing, we know that he's got someone who's very close to him."

"You mean... Balla?"

"Yes. I believe she can help us in understanding Eric Koboyashi."

"Don't you mean Ranma?"

"No Nodoka. I mean _ERIC_."

The next day...

Balla sat on edge in the coffee shop, in which Eric worked at part-time. Currently, he was still at the school, as he had gotten stuck with clean-up detention again, but since business was slow, his manager was able to manage things without him. It was just as well, since he most certainly wouldn't have approved of what the Tattoon Priestess was about to do.

She was going to meet her mother-in-law.

Balla had been quite surprised to receive a phone call from Nodoka's sister, but the firmness in her tone made it quite clear that Eric's mother wanted to see him. Aside from that brief time she spoke with the Kobayashi sisters previously, she didn't really know much about Eric's mother. However, her senses did tell her that Nodoka did have some... odd perceptions about certain things. And since she now knew the truth, things were only going to get more complicated. However, Balla had to know more about Nodoka before making a final judgment. If she really was the monster that Eric seemed to think she was, then Nodoka would never come near him. Not if she had anything to do about it!

The Tattoon girl shook her head and sighed. Here she was, getting all worked up over someone she hardly knew. She calmed herself down, just as her senses picked up two certain presences entering the shop. She took a deep breath and signaled to Nodoka and her sister.

Eric growled a bit as he put away the mops and buckets. Stupid clean up duty. As he looked out the classroom window and saw that the sun was setting, he glanced down at his watch and noted that he was running late. He needed to get to a phone and call Balla, to tell her that he would be very late for dinner. As he headed out the hallway, he began thinking back to their conversation the previous night. His significant other had been insisting that he should consider reconciling with his mother, since she may not be like Genma.

Hmpf! If she just left me to that Panda Man all these years without so much as a phone call or a letter, then I don't want nuthin' to do with her. My life is finally getting back on line and just about all of Ranma's Saotome's headaches are gone. Why would I want to complicate things now? 

As he made his way to a nearby payphone, he continued to believe that his belief to not meet with his mother was the right choice. After all, it's not as if she knew who her son was right?

"So you know all about my Eric?" Balla asked as she sipped from her cup of tea.

"Yes... I know that Eric... is my son Ranma." Nodoka replied haltingly.

Sitting beside her, Atsuko nodded. "Yes, we were quite surprised to find out that our favorite waiter was my nephew. What we don't understand is why he hadn't told us all this time."

"Well, to tell the truth, he didn't know about it either until recently." Balla admitted. Since Nodoka knew the truth, the Tattoon girl decided that there was no point in denying it. "Oh, and by the way, I would prefer if you were to speak of him as Eric. He has long since abandoned the name of Ranma Saotome."

"What?!"

"I would also suggest that you do not try to force him into things that are no longer his concern. He does not take very well to such acts and gets angry... and you would not like it when he's angry."

"He has abandoned the Saotome name?! What kind of...?"

"That name has given him nothing but grief." Balla said simply as she took another sip of tea. Already, she was beginning to dislike the impressions she was getting from Nodoka.

"So why didn't he try to contact me? I'm his mother and...!" Nodoka stopped suddenly as she felt a hand on her right shoulder. She looked over to her sister, who was shaking her head, indicating that her sibling should calm down. This was not the time to lose one's control. Taking a deep breath, Nodoka relaxed and asked in a much softer tone. "I mean, wouldn't my son want to see his mother after more than ten years?"

Balla paused for a long moment before speaking. "I could ask the same of you. Wouldn't you have wanted to contact your son, rather than waiting ten years? From what Eric has told me, you hadn't even attempted to find him until now."

"How could I?" Nodoka pleaded. "Genma left me no address and no way to contact him after he took our son on that training trip!"

Balla found it increasingly harder to keep her temper in check. "And you just LET him take your son away like that? I'm beginning to understand why Eric wants nothing to do with you."

"Why you...!" She rose up with the intent on slapping the insolent girl.

Before Eric's mother could say anything else, she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked over to her sister, who was shaking her head, while giving her sibling a firm look. This was NOT the time to lose one's control. If she wanted even the slightest chance of being reunited with her only child, then she would have to calm down and listen.

As Nodoka sat back down and relaxed, Balla also put away her anger and gave her a small smile to give her some assurance that all hope was not lost. As both sides recollected themselves, they began to look for common ground.

"Mrs. Saotome, I wanted to get to know my mother-in-law before making any kind of judgment."

"M-Mother-in-law?" Nodoka exclaimed.

"Well, perhaps to refer you as such is... premature." Balla said gently. "By the laws of my people, Eric and I are husband and wife, though understandably, he was very disagreeable to the idea in the beginning. Many others and _ESPECIALLY_ your husband, were responsible for his aversion to marriage."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I know what she's talking about, Sister." Atsuko intervened. "Remember what Eric said at the fair?"

Nodoka became silent as she recalled how angry her son had been when he spoke to that girl, what was her name...? Yes, Kasumi. Then she remembered Ranma saying something about being engaged against his will...

"You mean... all those things that he said about being sold...?"

"That's right." Balla confirmed. "To your husband, my poor Eric was nothing more than a bargaining chip to fill his fat belly. Well, from now on, he'll have to get used to prison food."

"Then... what Genma said about being in jail because of Ranma is true? How could he do such a thing to his own father?"

"He got no less than what he deserved." Atsuko said, surprising both Balla and her sister. "In fact, he should have gotten worse."

"Atsuko!" Nodoka chided.

However, her sibling would not be silent as she decided, that it was time to tell Nodoka, how she _REALLY_ felt about her good-for-absolutely-nothing brother-in-law. Besides, she liked Balla's spunk. "Nodoka, I cannot, in good conscience, just sit here and let you blind yourself to the truth. Open your eyes! Genma was bad for you from the start, and he would have dragged poor Eric down with him! It's a good thing that your son had the sense to abandon him and live his own life. That idiot Genma has no one to blame for his troubles but himself, and it was about time that he was punished for his acts!"

"But...!"

"No buts about it, Sister! If he had done even a _TENTH_ of the crimes and left _ME_ to take the blame, I would have sent him to prison long ago! How can you defend a man who takes your only child away for ten years, then torture and sell him off like a piece of property, just so he didn't have to work for anything? I don't think he even had any _INTENTION_ of contacting you!"

"He would have..."

"No he wouldn't." Balla said quietly, getting both women's attention.

"What do you mean?" Nodoka demanded.

"Eric told me that his father never _ONCE_ tried to get in physical contact with you, nor did he inform his son that you were still alive. For ten long years, all Eric knew was that pig Genma. I'm quite certain and so is my darling, that Genma would have never tried to find you, since you most certainly wouldn't have approved of many of the crimes he had done over the years, especially with his son. Eric informed me that his father was adamant with 'Uniting the Schools of the Anything Goes and running the Tendo Dojo.' Hmph! He probably saw it as a way of leeching off his son for the rest of his life. All he had to do was get Eric married to one of the Tendo girls and he could live off his son's sweat."

"Sounds like Genma all right." Atsuko agreed. "And once that happened, he wouldn't have even thought about contacting you ever again, Sister."

"No! He would have told me!" Nodoka said in denial, though a part of her was beginning to realize the truth in their words. "He called me today and...!"

"And what, Nodoka?" Atsuko asked sternly. "Tell you that his son has abandoned him and put him in jail? Doesn't _THAT_ tell you something? It's time for you to face facts. Genma can't weasel his way out of this situation, since he lost his only means of escape, (your son), and he's now trying to get you to bail him out! I say, let him rot in prison!"

"Atsuko... how can you be so heartless? If you had a husband, then you would understand!"

Atsuko's eyes narrowed, causing her sister to bow down her head in shame. The elder sister had been widowed for more than ten years and the loss of her own spouse had been a sore subject. She then countered with a firm tone. "At least _MY_ husband was there when my children and I needed him. How is having a husband like yours, and being alone for years any different? Where was Genma for the last decade? No phone calls, no visits and only the _OCCASIONAL_ letter with very vague details at best! He said he was too busy taking care of Ranma? Hah! More like he was too busy _EXPLOITING_ him and filling that bottomless pit he calls a stomach! I cannot believe my sister is so dense as to not to see the truth in front of her!"

Nodoka then began to feel that world was turning against her. Even her own sister was all for abandoning Genma. But how could Nodoka do so? Wasn't it the duty of every Japanese woman to remain obedient to one's spouse? Genma was after all the head of the household and he knew what was best, right? Then the thought of never being able to come close to her only child caused her to shudder and lose hope. She didn't know what to do.

At that point, Balla began to take pity on the mother of her beloved and decided that the best way for her to reconcile with Eric was to let her know more about him and how he felt. She allowed the mark on her forehead to appear as she focused on her mother-in-law. The sudden appearance of the tattoo caught both women by surprise as they gazed upon the eerie symbol that glowed on her forehead. Then the Tattoon Priestess reached out with her right index finger, while letting the mark on the back of her hand to appear as well. With the most barest of touches, she made contact with Nodoka's forehead and focused. It was then that the girl noticed a certain someone coming in through the front door of the café.

Atsuko's sister became wide-eyed as images began to flood her mind. All of Eric's trials and tribulations began to flash before her as his entire life became one long and intricate string of memories. Every experience, and every emotion was hers to see and feel. It was if she was reliving her son's life in exacting detail. She began to tremble uncontrollably as she saw each and every one of the horrors and moments of pain that her offspring had endured, all of which were connected either directly or indirectly by Genma. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the history of her son was revealed to her. She was especially shaken to her very soul as she saw the Neko Ken training and the accident at Jusenkyo. How could Genma have done that to him?

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, (though in reality it was only a few minutes), the images faded away and she was brought back to the present. Nodoka looked as she was about to faint dead away as Balla's spell ended. She then gazed upon the Tattoon girl with awe, as she now realized that all that she believed about Genma was a lie. Balla knew far more about her son in a few weeks than she knew in his entire lifetime. And that fact filled her with absolute shame. How could she even claim to be Ranma's... no, Eric's mother?

In the truest sense, he had no mother. No wonder he didn't want to see her. Who would after living in Hell for sixteen years? She had no right to even speak to him after all this. Where was she when he needed her the most? How could she have even let Genma take him away like that? How could she have just let him put her son through such things and not even lift a finger to stop it? Now that he was finally free of him and had someone who truly loved him, who was she to cause him more anguish? He deserved far better and if that meant Nodoka would never again see him as her child... then so be it.

Though it pained her to admit it, Nodoka knew that Eric was following his own path and it seemed that she was not a part of it. It saddened her that he would not even give her a chance, but it was his decision and as his mother, she had to respect it. Eric was a man among men, of that she had no doubt. He was strong, and had a beautiful and understanding wife. Balla would make him happy, and Nodoka could at least take solace in that.

It took a long while before she finally found her voice, and when she spoke, she did so with the most utmost of humility. "I'm... not certain of what you did, Balla... but I cannot deny what I have just seen. Genma has escaped punishment for his crimes for too long, and I cannot turn a blind eye to his actions, especially for what he did to my only child. My... son has suffered enough... no, far more than anyone could ever think to endure... and I will not seek to burden him any longer."

Atsuko became shocked at her sister's sudden reversal. To have her freely admit that her husband was good-for-absolutely-nothing, was quite a surprise in itself, but to have her give up hope of ever reuniting with her son was beyond belief. She became torn between feeling pride and pity for her sibling and did not know what to do.

"Sister..."

Nodoka barely managed to hold in her tears as she held up a hand. "No, Atsuko. Ranma... Eric has lived without me for this long, and my being in his life now would be... (sniff)... irrelevant. I was never there for him... before... (sniff)... why should I change that now?"

"Nodoka... do you realize what you're saying? You may never see Ranma again."

At this point, Nodoka let her tears trickle down her cheeks as she shook her head. "He's Eric... not Ranma. I see that now and I have no right to call him my son. It is a mother's duty to see that her child is happy. I have long since neglected that duty. What kind of mother would I be, if I didn't put my son's happiness ahead of my own? If it means losing him... (sob)... then so be it." She then gazed into Balla's eyes and smiled a little. "Balla... please look after Eric and give him that which I did not. He doesn't want to see me, and I can understand that. And even though I may never see him again, I'll know that he has someone who will love him. That will be enough."

Balla smiled back at her mother-in-law and said, "I am proud to be part of Eric's life and yours. And I believe that you're a little premature in thinking that Eric wouldn't want to see you... now."

With those words, she pointed toward the front door.

Nodoka and Atsuko both turned in their seats and saw Eric standing a few feet away from them. He had heard Nodoka's every words and felt the sincerity in them. All the pain and anger he had felt against her had dramatically lessened. Though he did feel some resentment, his mother's promise to leave him alone forever, made him rethink his stand against reuniting with her.

Finally, after a long period of silence, he spoke.

"Hello... Mom."

The café was nearly drowned out in tears as a mother rushed up to embrace her son and began crying nonstop. She held him in a grip that threatened to crush the life out of him, but Eric didn't even notice as he returned the embrace and let ten years of pain wash away.

Later...

"Eric, I'm so sorry that I disobeyed you, but Nodoka already knew about you and..."

"It's okay, Balla. It's okay. Actually, I was wrong and I'm grateful that you got me and my Mom back together." He brought her close as they both walked home. After a tearful reunion and several more hours of talking with his mother, Eric had decided that letting Nodoka be a part of his new life would be all right. Though he could do without his mother's doting and her subtle hints to give her some grandchildren. She had gushing nonstop about how he and Balla made such a lovely couple and had even been making plans to give them a proper wedding ceremony. This embarrassed Eric greatly, though he was thinking about how his significant other would look in a wedding kimono.

As they stopped at a corner, Eric couldn't help but take her into his arms and kiss her. He didn't care if anyone was watching and Balla more than deserved it for helping him come to terms with his mother. Who cared if anyone saw them? What they would see would be two people in love.

The Tattoon girl was thrilled at her beloved's new boldness to show affection and returned the kiss with equal fervor.

Things seemed have finally been looking for the better and the worst was past. All of Ranma's former headaches were gone and there was nothing and no one left that could threaten their future happiness now.

"_RANMA NO BAKA!!!!!!!!!_"

Well... almost no one.

To be concluded...

Author's Notes

Well, one more part to go as I wrap this story up. I know it's been a while since I updated this or any of my stories, but the problems in Real Life have not been kind. I hope to get part two of this chapter up soon, and I thank all those who have stayed with me during these hard times.

As to whom had just interrupted our two lovers, well, I'm sure anyone can guess as to her identity and that the final part will be... intense. See you there!


	15. Chapter 13, Part 2: Burning the Final Br...

**TATTOON RANMA**

**Disclaimer:** What? I would have thought by now you'd all know that I don't own any of these characters.

: Thoughts

[Italic]: Song lyrics

Note: Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now originally sung by Starship.

**Chapter 13**

**Part 2**

**Burning the Final Bridge**

"_RANMA NO BAKA!!!!_"

Eric Kobayashi sighed as he quickly released the love of his new life and turned to face the bane of his old one.

Akane was fuming and snarling with rage as she had just seen Ranma in the arms of another girl... kissing a blonde, foreign bitch! If she had seen him with Shampoo or Ukyo, she wouldn't have been quite as angry. The Amazon was nothing more than a brainless primitive with an oversized chest, while the okonomiyaki chef was just a cross-dressing tomboy. Neither one of them was of any consequence as a rival, so Ranma would remain with her. But now, here was that sex-changing pervert with a gaijin and was openly showing affection in public!

It was bad enough that her father and Nabiki were in jail and Kasumi was no longer supporting her side of things, but now this _SLUT_ dared to take liberties with what belonged to her! Ranma was a pervert and an idiot, but now he had forgotten who he was supposed to be loyal to! Well, she'd remind him just after she beat the hell out of this hussy!

"_YOU CHEATING BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU!? WHO IS THIS BITCH?!_"

Eric showed absolutely no remorse toward his former fiancée. In fact, he felt nothing but contempt. He wasn't Ranma any more and therefore, Akane had no right whatsoever to him in any way. However, she was acting like she still owned him like some object, and that was something that he hated.

As he thought about it, that's was all he ever was to that uncute tomboy, a possession. She didn't have to do anything. The engagement was simply handed to her by some half-assed promise by two morons who were probably drunk during the time.

Akane had never been truly challenged, before he came into her life. And when it was apparent that he was her better in every aspect, (especially in the martial arts), then she would lash out at him, knowing that she didn't have to face the consequences of her actions. Her father would always defend her. Her other suitors would never see anything but the perfect princess. And Ranma, he was the worst of the lot, as he would never fight back against her.

She was totally against the arranged marriage and treated him badly at every opportunity. And yet when it looked as if he was going to be taken away from her, she felt threatened. However, once the threat was over, she'd go right back to abusing him. That's what spoiled brats did with their toys, and Akane was certainly spoiled.

Well, Eric wasn't going to be anyone's toy anymore.

"Who the _HELL_ are you? I don't care for people who insult my fiancée. You'd better take back what you said about Balla." Eric growled.

"Don't give me that, Ranma! I always knew you were a pervert, and here you are, going out with some foreign witch! She should be thanking her lucky stars that I don't use my martial arts to..."

"_BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!_"

At that point, Eric let off a series of laughs, which stops Akane's tirade. The Tendo girl became even more infuriated as her former betrothed continued to mock her. "What's so funny?"

Eric laughed for another minute before replying. "You! I find you to be one of the _BIGGEST_ jokes in the world. You? A Marital Artist? Oh come on! You don't have the slightest _IDEA_ as to what a martial artist is like!"

"_WHAT?!?!_" Ranma had made fun of her skills before, but the way he was doing it now went far beyond simple teasing. And this made her even more infuriated.

Eric smiled as he composed himself. It was time to let her know how he _REALLY_ felt about the so-called best martial artist in Nerima. "Here you are, threatening someone with something that you don't even have! Since when were _YOU_ are martial artist? I've _NEVER_ seen you act like a martial artist. In fact, you do nothing but bring _SHAME_ to the martial arts, 'cause you use what little skill you have in the art to bolster your ego, and hide the fact that you are nothing."

"How dare you!?"

"What? You gonna threaten me with your martial arts too? Oops! I forgot, you don't know any. All you know is that you want everyone to take you serious about being something that you're not. And I _KNOW_ you're definitely not serious about being a martial artist. In fact, you're not even serious about anything period."

"Ranma..." Akane began to grit her teeth and glared murderously at him.

"I mean, why should anyone take you seriously? You're nothing but a spoiled brat. Never had to work for anything. Always had to be saved. Don't want to face the consequences of your actions, and just about all the time, you never had to. Sounds like someone who doesn't know what the real world is like out there, eh Balla?"

"Well, I suppose..." The Tattoon Priestess agreed cautiously. "But surely, she can't be all bad."

"That's one of the things I love about you, Balla. You always try to see some kind of good in everyone, even when we first met. But Akane's a lost cause. She doesn't even make an effort to see through anything or anyone who doesn't fit her views. She just makes snap judgments and never bothers to take the time to learn."

"You..." Akane was near boiling point as she readied to whip out her mallet and pound Ranma and his whore into oblivion.

However, Eric was unconcerned as he pushed her final buttons. "And you know what, Balla? I can't understand what anyone could see in her. She's not all that cute. She can't cook, even with the recipe staring right in front of her. Hell, she's hopeless in just about everything domestic. She's totally clueless when it comes to simple stuff like respect for others and never apologizes when she makes a mistake. Heck, she's not even a martial artist, even though she wants to be recognized as one. Doesn't even acknowledge when she's 100% wrong. I can't even recall any time when she ever said that she was sorry. I don't think she could do anything right. In other words, she's absolutely, undeniably, unquestionably... _USELESS!_"

At this point, Akane exploded.

"_RANMA, NO BAKA!!!!!!_"

Definitely the _WRONG_ thing to say.

**_WHA-BOOOOOOOOOOOM!_**

Akane was sent flying back more than a dozen feet after receiving a blow to the face. She lost her grip on her hammer and felt tears welling up in her eyes as a sharp pain flared on the right side of her cheek. She looked up in total disbelief at Ranma, who was still holding up his right arm with the fist clenched. He hit her! He had actually hit her! A large bruise formed on her cheek as it began to swell and a trickle of blood appeared.

Balla became very concerned as she felt Eric's anger rising again, but her beloved gave her a reassuring glance before turning back to Akane.

Eric showed no regret whatsoever as he lowered his arm and gave her a look of disgust. "What? You were expecting me to stand still and let you pound on me? Just for telling the truth? Oh please! All I did was act in self-defense. That's what martial arts was made for in the beginning. It's about control and discipline, and you most definitely don't have any. Martial arts is also about dedication to improving your body and mind, and you've never been serious about that either. To you, martial arts is just a way for you to exert your ego over others and hide the fact that without it, you're nothing. Like I said before, you don't know squat about what it is to be a martial artist. You bring nothing but _DISGRACE_ to the martial arts."

"But I didn't ..." Akane was in absolute disbelief that Ranma could turn on her like this. After all those times he defended her. It must be that gaijin witch's doing! Akane wasn't in the wrong! She couldn't be!

"Don't try to put the blame on others for your faults! That's one of the things _I REALLY HATE!_ You're pathetic, Akane, just like Kuno and all the others! And what really makes me sick, is that I let all that stuff happen. I should have just let you take your lumps, instead of having to take them for you! Well I ain't taking any more of your _FUCKING_ lumps, and I sure as _HELL_ ain't going to let anyone; not your father or mine, not Ryoga, not those damn Amazons, not Ukyo, not Kuno, not any of those other _FUCKING_ bastards from Nerima, and especially _NOT YOU_, is going to make me do anything that I don't want! Free ride's over Akane! Clean up your own messed-up life and leave me out of it!"

"You can't mean...?"

"Oh yes I do! I don't want anything to do with you or your _GODDAMNED_ family. And as far as I'm concerned, you can all go eat _SHIT_ and _DIE_! I've had enough of this crap! And now, there's just one more thing I have to do to make certain that I never have to see you again!" Eric then began to approach her menacingly and Akane began to feel real fear for the first time since she met him.

"What are you going to do?"

Eric snarled as the Primary Mark on his forehead glowed. "It all started with martial arts, and you've already brought a lot of dishonor to it. Now I'm going to make sure you _NEVER_ disgrace it again."

The streets of Hiroshima echoed with the distraught screams of a certain 'martial artist' as she was given her final lesson.

Later...

"Eric?" Balla asked as she and her beloved stood and watched the sunset from the balcony of their apartment.

The former Nerima resident let off a long, wistful sigh as he watched the orange-red orb dip down toward the horizon. He brought the Tattoon Priestess closer to him as he spoke in a quiet and tired tone. "I suppose you think that I went too far again, right?"

"Actually, I was surprised at the restraint you showed with her. After all that you told me about this Akane, I fully expected you to go even worse than you did with Ryoga. You really have gotten better."

"I was tempted. Believe me, I was _VERY_ tempted to pay her back a _THOUSAND_ fold, for every time she hit me with that stupid hammer, kicked me when I was down, and beat me to within an inch of my life, just because I couldn't bring myself to fight back or when she jumped to the worst conclusions about me. Then I thought... what would be the point? She wouldn't have learned anything from a beating and the way she takes hits, it wouldn't have given me any satisfaction. So I decided to hit her where it hurts the most... her pride. Now she's going to have to learn the hard way that _SAYING_ that she's a martial artist and _BEING_ one are two different things. And she'll have to work things out on her own, now that she isn't going to be protected any more. No more excuses and no more blaming others because of her own shortcomings."

"So do you think that she will learn anything from this?"

"I don't know and I don't fucking care. She's made her bed and now she'll have to lie in it. I've burned that last bridge and I ain't going back. That life's over and I like the way my new life is headed. As long as you're with me." He drew Balla closer and kissed her deeply. The Tattoon girl felt herself floating on air as she returned the kiss.

It was finally over...

Three years later...

[we hear the background music of Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now]

In Balla's mountain village in Tibet, the crowds applauded as the High Priestess Balla and her husband, the Warrior Priest Eric, finished with their official vows and kissed. Balla was dressed in beautiful ceremonial robes, while her mate was clad in a tunic, leggings and cape. In the crowds, Nodoka, Atsuko, Lisa, Brody and Deiner continued to cheer.

[Lookin' your eyes, I see a paradise, this world that I found, is too good to be true... Standing here beside you, want so much to give you, this love in my heart, that I'm feeling for you...]

As the couple faced the well-wishers, Balla couldn't help but feel glorious as she held onto her husband's arm tightly. She smiled even brighter as she was greeted by her sister Kandor. After almost two years of headaches, fights and several destroyed towns, the two siblings had finally reconciled and Kandor was allowed back into her home.

[Let 'em say we're crazy, I don't care about that. Put your hand in my hand baby, don't ever look back. Let the world around us, just fall apart, baby we can make it, if we're heart to heart...]

At that point, fireworks were going off all over the village, lighting up the evening skies as we see in Heaven, a satisfied Urd, Belldandy and Aphrodite.

[And we can build this dream together, standing strong forever, nothing's gonna stop us now. And if this world runs out of lovers, we'll still have each other, nothing's gonna stop us, nothing's gonna stop us now.... whoa, whoa!]

In a Japanese prison, Soun Tendo continued to weep in his cell as his dreams of joining the Anything Goes Schools had been forever dashed. With a sentence of five years for harboring two known felons and attempted kidnapping, his credibility as a martial artist and good standing in the community was forever tarnished.

In solitary, serving a sentence of ten years, Genma continued to try and plot an escape. So far, his plans had been foiled as the guards had gotten wise to his tricks and kept him inside an electrified cell. They had also threatened to sell him to a zoo in a forced panda breeding program, too keep him in line.

As for Happosai, he was given twelve years with permanent laundry duty. The constant smell of men's underwear kept his power levels low with absolutely _NO_ contact with anything female.

At the wedding ceremony, Balla and Eric enjoyed themselves as they feasted and talked with Eric's father-in-law, the Chief of the Tattoon Tribe. They never left each other's side and would always gaze into each other's eyes lovingly.

[I'm so glad I found you, I'm not gonna lose you, whatever it takes, I will stay here with you...]

Nodoka smiled with her sister as she imagined the kind of grandchildren Eric and Balla would give to her. With Genma no longer a part of her life, she could finally look forward to the future.

[Take it to the bad times, see it to through the good times, whatever it takes it what I'm gonna do!]

As if reading her mother-in-law's mind, Balla leaned over to whisper impishly into her husband's ear. Eric immediately blushed at what his wife said. Who knew she was _THAT_ kinky?

[Let 'em say we're crazy, what do they know? Put your arms around me, don't ever let go. Let the world around us, just fall apart, baby we can make it, if we're heart to heart...]

In a women's prison, Nabiki sighed as she sat in her cell and hoped that her cellmate wasn't in _THE_ mood. She had been given nine years for blackmail and racketeering, though she was counting on getting out in two more years for good behavior.

As for the other two Tendo, sisters...

[And we can build this dream together, standing strong forever, nothing's gonna stop us now. And if this world runs out of lovers, we'll still have each other, nothing's gonna stop us, nothing's gonna stop us...]

"_AKANE MY LOVE!_"

_**Wham!**_

**_THA-BOOOOOOOOOOOM!_**

Akane picked up her sore body off the ground, after slugging that idiot Kuno into the sky. Ever since her final encounter with Ranma, she had to be very careful. He had cast some kind of spell on her, which caused her to feel the pain and impact of her own violent actions, (at twenty times the intensity), every time she struck out in anger or pride. As a result, the so-called best martial artist in Nerima had to refrain from using that which she was proud of, lest she wanted to feel the consequences.

The Tendo home was in a state of ruin after she and Kasumi had returned to Nerima. Kasumi had retreated into her own private shell and it would take many months of emotional therapy and support from Dr. Tofu before she finally got on with her life. When she at last took hold of her life, she started to discipline her sister as her deceased mother would have done and what she should have.

Naturally, Akane did not like being treated as thus, but the other spell that Ranma had cast upon her, caused her extreme pain if she did not curb her temper.

Like it or not, Akane would have to learn the hard way about life...

[OOOOOh, all that I need is you... all that I ever need...]

Balla and Eric smiled as they lay on their wedding bed and underwent the physical act of expressing their love for each other.

In Heaven, Urd paid off Aphrodite on their bet on how long it would take before the pair had consummated their marriage.

[And all I ever want to do... is hold you forever... ever and ever...]

Somewhere in world, Ryoga squealed as he was once again turned into a pig against his will. He had managed to get his human form back after he had been sent to Jusenkyo, but the Tattoon Curse he was under, forever denied him any chance of getting revenge on Ranma. Even the thought of getting revenge would change him into a pig for thirty days. Hot and cold water would have no effect and spending a month as a pig was always Hell for him.

P-chan seethed as he ran for his life as a pack of wolves chased after him.

_CURSE YOU RANMA!_

In Tokyo, Mousse had been given a life sentence in prison for attempted murder. The Chinese Amazons had abandoned him, and in the only letter he got from Shampoo, he had been informed that she had married someone else. With nothing else to live for, he committed suicide.

At the Kuno Estate, Kodachi had assumed the position as head of the Kuno Clan. Naturally, her brother had protested this, but with his permanently crippled hands, he could not practice Kendo nor fight against his sister's takeover. He was later committed to a mental asylum.

In Osaka, Ukyo started a new business and cut all ties with her Ran-chan, thinking that it was for the best that her childhood friend remain dead to her and hoped that at least he was happy now.

[And we can build this dream together, standing strong forever, nothing's gonna stop us now. And if this world runs out of lovers, we'll still have each other, nothing's gonna stop us, nothing's gonna stop us...]

In the Tattoon Village, the celebration continued on into the night as Eric Kobayashi and Balla Kobayashi continued to move forward in their life together.

Nothing was going to stop them now.

THE END

Author's Notes

Yeah, I know that most readers were expecting a bloody end with Akane, but as Eric said, what would be the point? Sure it would have been satisfying to see her get what she deserved, but by this time, Eric/Ranma feels that he needs to move on with his life and Akane now has to face reality without her so-called martial arts and with no one protecting her. I think that's punishment enough and Eric/Ranma has already suffered more than humanly possible.

This story started out as just a bet with a friend, and I'm pretty surprised at how far I managed to take it. I wanted to focus on how Ranma would react if he was pushed too far and I think I did a pretty good job overall. I'll admit that the end was watered down, but it only served as a kind of epilogue and at least, Ranma got a happy ending. I enjoyed writing this and it's now time for my other fanfics.


End file.
